Pfizer and BioNTech Report 90 Percent Efficacy for Experimental COVID-19 Vaccine
Pfizer and BioNTech announce that their experimental coronavirus vaccine shows more than 90 percent effectiveness in preventing COVID-19 during a large phase III trial. The genetically engineered vaccine uses an innovative RNA approach that allows for rapid manufacturing.
Pfizer and BioNTech announce that their experimental coronavirus vaccine is more than 90 percent effective in preventing COVID-19, based on an initial analysis of their large phase III trial. The two companies also report that no serious safety concerns emerge thus far among the trial participants.
To create the vaccine, researchers genetically engineer SARS-CoV-2 genes and capture their blueprint. They then embed this blueprint into an RNA molecule in solution and inject it into the bodies of trial participants, a method that highlights the potential of genetic engineering in modern medicine.
Although the trial data are not yet submitted for peer-review publication, the early results show significant promise. If these results hold up, Pfizer and BioNTech state that they possess the capability to manufacture large quantities of the genetically engineered vaccine quickly to address the global crisis.