Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla has said he is optimistic that the company's COVID-19 vaccine would prove effective against the double mutant 'Indian' variant of the virus. The double mutant variant is fuelling the ongoing surge in COVID-19 cases in India.
In an interview to AFP on Friday, Bourla said Pfizer had access to large amounts of data about new COVID-19 variants. "We have already data for the UK one—I hate using the [names of] countries, but people know them like that—which is very prominent in Israel... efficiency was 97 per cent... We have data from South Africa, with the South African variant, and overall the efficacy was 100 per cent. And also have data from Brazil. And it looks also this is very well controlled," Bourla told AFP.
Pfizer has not compiled sufficient data on the efficiency of its vaccine against the Indian variant. However, Bourla told AFP Pfizer's mRNA technology, used in the vaccine, can be adapted to counter new mutations.
"The thing that makes me feel more comfortable is that we have developed a process that once a variant becomes a variant of concern, we should be able to have a new vaccine within 100 days. It's a tough target, but I am very comfortable that we should be able to do it. And because of the effectiveness of this mRNA technology, I believe that variants will not become an issue; we'll be able to control them," Bourla told AFP.
Earlier this week, an Israeli official said the Pfizer vaccine had a degree of efficiency against the double mutant COVID-19 version from India.
New version in pipeline?
Bourla told AFP a new version of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine is in the pipeline that would be easier to distribute and store. The current version must be stored at temperatures of -70 Degree Celsius, making the vaccine impractical for countries with poor logistical infrastructure.
Bourla told AFP, ".... we are also working with a new formulation, which is much improved that will be ready to use... that means you don't need to dilute the vaccine, it will come diluted." Bourla explained the vaccine variant could be stored for up to two-three months in normal refrigeration and an additional three months in a freezer. "So a total of four-to-six months outside the minus 50 or 70 [temperature range)... we believe we'll be able to have it if we are successful in summer," Bourla added.
The US FDA allows for storage of the Pfizer vaccine at a temperature of -20 Degree Celsius in a standard freezer for up to two weeks. Bourla explained this could be extended. "And we are about to generate the data for another two weeks. So that this formulation can be stored, let's say, a month in minus 20 if we get approval for that," Bourla said.
Largest vaccine deal imminent
The comments by Bourla come as the European Union announced it expected to seal a deal to buy up to 1.8 billion doses of the Pfizer vaccine. This would be enough to vaccinate the 450 million-strong population of the EU nations. The EU is eyeing vaccination for up to 70 per cent of its adults by July. The announcement came even as the EU looks set to sever ties with AstraZeneca.
After a visit to the Pfizer vaccine plant in Puurs, Belgium, on Friday, EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said, "We will conclude in the next days. It will secure the doses necessary to give booster shots to increase immunity," Reuters reported. The Puurs plant is expected to produce over 100 million doses by May.
