As we trek through month six of lockdown life, many of us are anxiously awaiting the arrival of a Covid-19 vaccine and the potential to return to some semblance of normal life. However, releasing and distributing a vaccine that has not been adequately screened poses its own host of potential safety issues.
This is why a coalition of nine drug companies from the US and Europe came together this week to pledge to uphold standards for science and safety when it comes to marketing a Covid-19 vaccine.
The group of companies includes Johnson & Johnson, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Novavax, Sanofi, and BioNTech, as well as three companies already in the final stage of testing a vaccine: Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca.
The pledge’s specifics include a commitment to “only submit for approval or emergency use authorization after demonstrating safety and efficacy through a Phase 3 clinical study that is designed and conducted to meet requirements of expert regulatory authorities such as FDA.”
Many companies are facing intense pressure from governments and business leaders to make a functional vaccine available as soon as possible, but an ineffective or potentially dangerous vaccine could compound Covid-19 challenges around the world. This pledge ensures the companies will not distribute a preventative treatment that has not gone through the proper scientific and regulatory processes.
