ABC News Announces Pfizer Vaccine Data Showing That It’s “More Effective Than A Placebo”

[PeteS in CA]

ABC News Announces Pfizer Vaccine Data Showing That It’s “More Effective Than A Placebo”

https://hotair.com/archives/jazz-shaw/2020/11/09/abc-news-announces-pfizer-vaccine-data-showing-effective-placebo/

“JUST IN: Initial glimpse at the data from Pfizer’s ongoing late-stage clinical trial shows that the company’s vaccine is more effective at preventing COVID-19 than placebo. ”

My immediate reaction was to wonder if they couldn’t have come up with a better description than “better than a placebo,” but the reality is that it looks far, far better than that. In fact, they’re reporting a 90% effectiveness rate, which sounds extremely encouraging. There are still more regulatory hoops to jump through, but Pfizer seems to be close to applying for permission to begin broad production and release of the vaccine and a few other companies are hot on their heels.
...
Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson are also on track to release their own promising data, though the latter two ran into some safety issues that caused delays. They are still shooting for reaching the same stage of development as soon as early January, though.

Don’t go throwing away your facemasks and planning big parties just yet, however. Even if the 90% figure holds, Pfizer will still need to provide two months of safety data to the FDA, collected after the final rounds of injections in test subjects are complete. Assuming the FDA is satisfied, they may apply to first gain an emergency authorization to distribute the vaccine to the highest-risk subjects, including the elderly and those with underlying respiratory conditions. After that, the company can apply for approval to generally release the vaccine to the public.

Moderna and AstraZeneca are at about the same point in progress as is Pfizer. Johnson & Johnson and Novavax are in the final pre-authorization testing phase, but are a couple of months behind Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca. The Pfizer-BioNTech announcement is here, https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201109005539/en/ .

All this assumes that Biden won't withdraw any authorizations issued between now and late January and won't @#$% over these Pharmaceuticals companies for daring to work with the Bad Orange Man.

[PeteS in CA]

Cuomo: It’s “Bad News” That Pfizer Announced These Vaccine Results Before Biden Takes Office

https://hotair.com/archives/allahpundit/2020/11/09/cuomo-bad-news-pfizer-announced-vaccine-results-biden-takes-office/

This isn’t the first time he’s sounded discouraging notes about a vaccine, knowing full well how much persuasion it’ll take to convince skeptics to get the shot once it’s available.

I can’t believe I’m going to say this but I think the question needs to be asked in light of his track record.

Is this guy … pro-COVID? That criticism is often thrown at Trump because of his insane recklessness in holding rallies amid a pandemic and his relentless push to reopen for business no matter how high community spread gets. But between the body count Cuomo’s racked up in New York and his consistent casual denigration of a vaccine approved and administered by Trump’s administration, he’s certainly a finalist for coronavirus’s MVP among U.S. politicians.

Tom Elliott
@tomselliott
!

@NYGovCuomo says it’s “bad news” Pfizer’s Covid vaccine came during the Trump Admin; says he’s going to work w/ other governors to “stop” distribution “before it does damage"

Cuomo wants to kill even more people with his Covid-actions?!

[dfwgator]

They could have announced this months ago.

Can't help the Orange Man, don'cha know.

[PeteS in CA]

They could have announced this months ago.

Can't help the Orange Man, don'cha know.

Pfizer started Phase II/III testing on July 27th, https://www.pfizer.com/news/press-release/press-release-detail/pfizer-and-biontech-choose-lead-mrna-vaccine-candidate-0 . So if by "they" you mean Pfizer, Pfizer did not have this testing data months ago.

OTOH, the MSM have been almost studiously silent on the vaccine development progress by AstraZeneca, Moderna, Pfizer, J & J, and Novavax (and several others who are in earlier test phases). If by "they" you mean the MSM, you are basically correct.

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I really wondered whether the comment attributed to Cuomo was accurate and in what context he said it. More:

GOV. CUOMO THREATENS TO STOP VACCINE DISTRIBUTION

https://www.outkick.com/andrew-cuomo-vaccine/

While speaking to political partisan George Stephanopoulos — what a combo — Cuomo said the news is “bad” and that he will need to figure out a way to stop distribution before it does damage.

Here is Cuomo putting politics ahead of the country:
...
“The bad news is that it’s about two months before Joe Biden takes over and that means this administration is going to be implementing a vaccine plan,” Cuomo starts. “The vaccine plan is very important. It’s probably the most ambitious undertaking since COVID began.

“The Trump administration is rolling out the vaccination plan, and I believe it’s flawed.”

Cuomo concluded, “I’ve been talking to governors across the nation about that – how can we shape the Trump administration vaccine plan to fix it or stop it before it does damage.”

Cuomo is such a hyper-partisan Trump-Hater that I really can't tell whether he is so ignorant that he doesn't know these vaccines are being tested by hospitals and universities, not by Donald Trump with a kids' chemistry set in the WH basement, or whether he knows full well the vaccines are being properly tested but can't stand Trump getting credit for this huge accomplishment.

[PeteS in CA]

Just to give some chronological perspective to what follows, here's the November 9th Pfizer press release, https://www.pfizer.com/news/press-release/press-release-detail/pfizer-and-biontech-announce-vaccine-candidate-against :

PFIZER AND BIONTECH ANNOUNCE VACCINE CANDIDATE AGAINST COVID-19 ACHIEVED SUCCESS IN FIRST INTERIM ANALYSIS FROM PHASE 3 STUDY

After discussion with the FDA, the companies recently elected to drop the 32-case interim analysis and conduct the first interim analysis at a minimum of 62 cases. Upon the conclusion of those discussions, the evaluable case count reached 94 and the DMC performed its first analysis on all cases. The case split between vaccinated individuals and those who received the placebo indicates a vaccine efficacy rate above 90%, at 7 days after the second dose. This means that protection is achieved 28 days after the initiation of the vaccination, which consists of a 2-dose schedule. As the study continues, the final vaccine efficacy percentage may vary. The DMC has not reported any serious safety concerns and recommends that the study continue to collect additional safety and efficacy data as planned. The data will be discussed with regulatory authorities worldwide.

My emphasis. From today's press realese, https://www.pfizer.com/news/press-release/press-release-detail/pfizer-and-biontech-conclude-phase-3-study-covid-19-vaccine :

PFIZER AND BIONTECH CONCLUDE PHASE 3 STUDY OF COVID-19 VACCINE CANDIDATE, MEETING ALL PRIMARY EFFICACY ENDPOINTS

NEW YORK & MAINZ, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) and BioNTech SE (Nasdaq: BNTX) today announced that, after conducting the final efficacy analysis in their ongoing Phase 3 study, their mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate, BNT162b2, met all of the study’s primary efficacy endpoints. Analysis of the data indicates a vaccine efficacy rate of 95% (p<0.0001) in participants without prior SARS-CoV-2 infection (first primary objective) and also in participants with and without prior SARS-CoV-2 infection (second primary objective), in each case measured from 7 days after the second dose. The first primary objective analysis is based on 170 cases of COVID-19, as specified in the study protocol, of which 162 cases of COVID-19 were observed in the placebo group versus 8 cases in the BNT162b2 group. Efficacy was consistent across age, gender, race and ethnicity demographics. The observed efficacy in adults over 65 years of age was over 94%.

Again, my emphasis. The increase in the efficacy % is due to more cases being included in the calculation.

Also in today's Pfizer press release:

In addition, the companies announced that the safety milestone required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) has been achieved. Pfizer and BioNTech plan to submit a request within days to the FDA for an EUA based on the totality of safety and efficacy data collected to date, as well as manufacturing data relating to the quality and consistency of the vaccine. These data also will be submitted to other regulatory agencies around the world.

[Fishrrman]

"Better than a placebo..."

Is it possible to get any more mealy-mouthed than that?

[PeteS in CA]

"Better than a placebo..."

Is it possible to get any more mealy-mouthed than that?

This, is ABC Skews!

[Cyber Liberty]

Right after Pfizer's announcement that sent the DJIA over 1,700, Cuomo announced he would not permit any Trump vaccine to be distributed in N=Y.  President Trump said "Okie dokie!  I won't try to force you!"  Cuomo promptly files a lawsuit to force Trump to send it to him.  If I were the President, I'd refuse to comply and let the suit go through the Courts.