Pfizer's COVID-19 Vaccine Trial Ends With 95% Success Rate - World Economic Forum
Pfizer's COVID-19 Vaccine Trial Ends With 95% Success Rate - World Economic Forum
Join us
Pfizer said there were 170 cases of COVID-19 in its trial of more than 43,000 Image: REUTERS/Carlo
volunteers. Allegri
18 Nov 2020
Michael Erman
Writer, Reuters
The end of the trial now means the company can push for an emergency U.S.
authorization within days.
The efficacy of the vaccine was found to be consistent across different age and
ethnic groups.
This site uses cookies to deliver website functionality and analytics. If you would like to know more about the
types of cookies we serve and how to change your cookie settings, please read our Cookie Notice. By I accept
clicking the "I accept" button, you consent to the use of these cookies.
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/11/pfizer-vaccine-trial-success/ 1/8
11/17/21, 10:39 AM Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine trial ends with 95% success rate | World Economic Forum
Pfizer said its two-dose vaccine, BNT162b2, was well-tolerated and that side
effects were mostly mild to moderate, and cleared up quickly.
Final results from Pfizer Inc’s COVID-19 vaccine trial showed its shot had a 95% success rate
and two months of safety data, paving the way for the drugmaker to apply for an emergency U.S.
authorization within days.
The vaccine’s efficacy rate, the highest of any candidate in late-stage clinical trials so far, was
welcomed by experts who had already said that interim results showing Pfizer’s shot was over
90% effective were very encouraging.
Pfizer said there were 170 cases of COVID-19 in its trial of more than 43,000 volunteers and only
eight people with the disease had been given the shot rather than a placebo, meaning the
vaccine had a 95% efficacy rate. Of the 10 people who developed severe COVID-19, one had
received the vaccine.
“The data is very strong,” said Ian Jones, a professor of virology at Britain’s University of Reading.
“It’s looking like a real contender.”
Pfizer said it expected the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s vaccine advisory committee to
review
This andcookies
site uses discuss the data
to deliver in afunctionality
website public meeting that will
and analytics. likely
If you belike
would held in December.
to know more about the
types of cookies we serve and how to change your cookie settings, please read our Cookie Notice. By I accept
clicking the "I accept" button, you consent to the use of these cookies.
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/11/pfizer-vaccine-trial-success/ 2/8
11/17/21, 10:39 AM Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine trial ends with 95% success rate | World Economic Forum
“We continue to move at the speed of science, and we know that every day matters in our path to
authorization,” Pfizer Chief Executive Albert Bourla said.
The final analysis comes just a week after initial results from the trial showed the vaccine,
developed with German partner BioNTech SE, was more than 90% effective. Moderna Inc on
Monday released preliminary data for its vaccine, showing 94.5% effectiveness.
The better-than-expected results from the two vaccines, both developed with new messenger
RNA (mRNA) technology, have raised hopes for an end to a pandemic that has killed more than
1.3 million people and wreaked havoc upon economies and daily life.
However, while some groups such as healthcare workers will be prioritized in the United States
for vaccinations this year, it will be months before large-scale rollouts begin.
Pfizer said the efficacy of the vaccine was consistent across different age and ethnic groups, a
sign that the immunization could be employed broadly around the world.
Efficacy in adults over 65 years, who are at particular risk from the virus, was over 94%.
“The 94% protection for older people is key. This is the evidence we needed to ensure that the
most vulnerable people are protected,” said Andrew Hill, senior visiting research fellow at the
University of Liverpool’s department of pharmacology.
Equity markets strengthened slightly on the Pfizer news. Europe’s STOXX 600 and the U.S S&P
500 futures both rose about 0.3% to hit highs for the day. The moves were small, however,
compared with the jump when Pfizer first announced the vaccine was more than 90% effective
on Nov. 9. [MKTS/GLOB]
Pfizer shares rose 3% in premarket trade while BioNTech’s U.S.-listed shares jumped 8%.
Pfizer said its two-dose vaccine, BNT162b2, was well-tolerated and that side effects were mostly
mild to moderate, and cleared up quickly.
This site uses cookies to deliver website functionality and analytics. If you would like to know more about the
types of cookies we serve and how to change your cookie settings, please read our Cookie Notice. By I accept
clicking the "I accept" button, you consent to the use of these cookies.
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/11/pfizer-vaccine-trial-success/ 3/8
11/17/21, 10:39 AM Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine trial ends with 95% success rate | World Economic Forum
The only severe adverse event that affected more than 2% of those vaccinated was fatigue,
which affected 3.7% of recipients after the second dose. Older adults tended to report fewer and
milder adverse events.
Moderna named five categories of severe side effects experienced by at least 2% of those who
received its vaccine. It listed fatigue at a frequency of 9.7%, muscle pain at 8.9%, joint pain at
5.2%, headache at 4.5%, pain at 4.1% and redness around the injection site at 2%.
Pfizer’s final results come as the virus is running rampant around the world, placing an enormous
strain on healthcare systems with record numbers of new cases and hospitalizations.
The approach of winter in the northern hemisphere in tandem with the holiday season is expected
to worsen case numbers as people spend more time indoors and have family gatherings.
“With hundreds of thousands of people around the globe infected every day, we urgently need to
get a safe and effective vaccine to the world,” Pfizer’s Bourla said.
Pfizer and BioNTech also said they plan to submit the data to other regulatory agencies around
the world and submit data from the study to a peer-reviewed scientific journal.
Pfizer reiterated that it expects to make as many as 50 million vaccine doses this year, enough to
protect 25 million people, and then produce up to 1.3 billion doses in 2021.
Of the dozens of drugmakers and research groups racing to develop vaccines against COVID-19,
the next data release will likely be from AstraZeneca Plc with the University of Oxford in
November or December. Johnson & Johnson says it is on track to deliver data this year.
This site uses cookies to deliver website functionality and analytics. If you would like to know more about the
types of cookies we serve and how to change your cookie settings, please read our Cookie Notice. By I accept
clicking the "I accept" button, you consent to the use of these cookies.
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/11/pfizer-vaccine-trial-success/ 4/8
11/17/21, 10:39 AM Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine trial ends with 95% success rate | World Economic Forum
This site uses cookies to deliver website functionality and analytics. If you would like to know more about the
types of cookies we serve and how to change your cookie settings, please read our Cookie Notice. By I accept
clicking the "I accept" button, you consent to the use of these cookies.
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/11/pfizer-vaccine-trial-success/ 5/8
11/17/21, 10:39 AM Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine trial ends with 95% success rate | World Economic Forum
Written by
The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.
Explore context
Precision Medicine
Email Subscribe
This site uses cookies to deliver website functionality and analytics. If you would like to know more about the
types of cookies we serve and how to change your cookie settings, please read our Cookie Notice. By I accept
Email
clicking the "I address
accept" button, you consent to the use of these cookies.
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/11/pfizer-vaccine-trial-success/ 6/8
11/17/21, 10:39 AM Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine trial ends with 95% success rate | World Economic Forum
About
Our Mission
The Davos Manifesto
Careers
Strategic Intelligence
Contact Us
Code of Conduct
World Economic Forum LLC
Sustainability
Leadership and Governance
World Economic Forum Privacy Policy
Davos Agenda - our daily podcasts
New Champions
Our Partners
Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution
Our Impact
Centre for Cybersecurity
Communities
History
Klaus Schwab
Global Innovators
Pictures
Media
Accreditation
news
Subscribe to our news
This site uses cookies to deliver website functionality and analytics. If you would like to know more about the
types of cookies we serve and how to change your cookie settings, please read our Cookie Notice. By I accept
Members
clicking the "I & Partners
accept" button, you consent to the use of these cookies.
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/11/pfizer-vaccine-trial-success/ 7/8
11/17/21, 10:39 AM Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine trial ends with 95% success rate | World Economic Forum
Global sites
Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution
Open Forum
Global Shapers
Young Global Leaders
Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship
Strategic Intelligence
Global Risks
UpLink Platform
EN ES FR 中文 日本語
This site uses cookies to deliver website functionality and analytics. If you would like to know more about the
types of cookies we serve and how to change your cookie settings, please read our Cookie Notice. By I accept
clicking the "I accept" button, you consent to the use of these cookies.
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/11/pfizer-vaccine-trial-success/ 8/8