Pfizer, Partner Racing To Develop A Coronavirus Vaccine

PEARL RIVER, NY — A fast-moving international effort to thwart the rapid spread of the new coronavirus is underway. The companies have already begun accelerated development work on the vaccine candidate while still working through terms of an agreement.

"This is not how it’s normally done," said Phil Dormitzer, Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer for Viral Vaccines based at Pfizer’s Pearl River, New York, research site. "Our rapid response really exceeds my expectations. It's coming from the top — the attitude that we will make our resources available to do as much as we can to help in this public health crisis. We are able to make decisions so that things can happen quickly."

Pfizer, one of the world's top biopharmaceutical companies, has joined forces with German biotech company BioNTech to develop a potential RNA vaccine to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This is just a pivot, since the two have been collaborating on an RNA influenza vaccine since 2018.

Developing any type of vaccine has always been a costly, time consuming, and risky endeavor, company officials said. But given the rapidly evolving situation, Pfizer is working at unprecedented speed and levels of collaboration.

Dormitzer is no stranger to global outbreaks, having been involved in responses to the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, as well as the 2013 H7N9 avian influenza in Shanghai prior to working at Pfizer. But the recent COVID-19 crisis is different, he says. "This crisis has reached pandemic level, impacting numerous countries around the globe, and it’s going to require an industry-wide effort to address this crisis."

A faster formula

Unlike conventional vaccines — which take months to produce by growing weakened forms of the virus — RNA vaccines can be constructed quickly using only the pathogen’s genetic code.

Scientists in China released the genetic sequence of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) in January, which kicked off research around the globe for a potential vaccine.

"One reason why this technology is so useful is that you don't need the virus, all you need is the genetic sequence of the virus," said Dormitzer. But having access to global data has been critical, said Dormitzer, who credits partners such as the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data, which has expanded its data sharing to include coronavirus data.

Addressing the crisis first

BioNTech has already synthesized a set of potential RNA vaccines and expects to begin testing in human subjects in a small study in Germany in April. Meanwhile, we will be contributing our expertise in specialized research, manufacturing, pre-clinical testing, and clinical testing, as well as serologic testing, which measures how the immune system responds to a vaccine. We already have a well-established rapport with BioNTech.

"We have teams that have been working very closely together on the existing flu collaboration," said Dormitzer. "And that is what is really enabling us to start so fast — it’s a natural extension to work together on the COVID-19 vaccine."

In the weeks and months ahead, Pfizer scientists plan to work with regulatory officials in hopes of fast tracking the vaccine’s testing, as well as to scale-up manufacturing, testing facilities and storage.

Our partners are turning to us for our experience in development of preventive vaccines and our relationships with U.S. regulatory and public health organizations," Dormitzer said. "Addressing this crisis is our priority."

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