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Tuesday, October 8, 2024

Israel signs $237mn contract with Pfizer for 8 million doses of Covid vaccine

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the Israeli Health Ministry, Pfizer and its CEO Albert Bourla personally for his relentless work to seal the deal, marking a “great day for the State of Israel and a great day on the way to our victory over the coronavirus.”

Israel has signed a formal agreement of intent with US pharma giant Pfizer for some eight million doses of its coronavirus vaccine candidate – if and when it is approved and the company starts supplying it to foreign customers.

Pfizer could receive a front payment of over $35 million as early as next week, even though the agreement does not include any commitment to actually supply the vaccine, Ynet reports. The remaining $200+ million will be paid once some 8 million jabs are shipped, but if the increased demand in the US or other ‘circumstances’ prevent Pfizer from fulfilling the order, Tel Aviv expects a refund.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the Israeli Health Ministry, Pfizer and its CEO Albert Bourla personally for his relentless work to seal the deal, marking a “great day for the State of Israel and a great day on the way to our victory over the coronavirus.”

Read more: Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine 90% effective in Phase 3 trial

Netanyahu added that he was in talks with other countries and world leaders too, “to ensure that we will receive the vaccine together with the leading countries around the world and that we will not get pushed back in line.”

In the meantime, he urged Israelis to show some patience and obey the government’s anti-Covid directives and rules, acknowledging that “months will pass until the vaccines arrive, assuming that they will be approved.”

Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine 

A vaccine jointly developed by Pfizer and BioNTech was 90 percent effective in preventing Covid-19 infections in ongoing Phase 3 trials, the companies announced on November 9th. Protection in patients was achieved seven days after the second of two doses, and 28 days after the first, according to preliminary findings.

press release by Pfizer and BioNTech revealed that as of November 8, 2020, in the phase 3 clinical trial of BNT162b2 which was initiated on July 27, 38,955 of the total 43,538 participants have received a second dose of the vaccine. The study aims to analyze this vaccine’s potential to protect people from COVID-19 who had previously been effected by SARS-CoV-2 as well as enable prevention against severe COVID-19 disease. The clinical trial will continue to enroll more participants and “to continue through the final analysis when a total of 164 confirmed COVID-19 cases have accrued.”

Read more: Trump takes credit for Pfizer Vaccine

“In addition to the primary efficacy endpoints evaluating confirmed COVID-19 cases accruing from 7 days after the second dose, the final analysis now will include, with the approval of the FDA, new secondary endpoints evaluating efficacy based on cases accruing 14 days after the second dose as well” the press released added further.

“Today is a great day for science and humanity. The first set of results from our phase 3 Covid-19 vaccine trial provides the initial evidence of our vaccine’s ability to prevent Covid-19,” said Dr Albert Bourla, the Pfizer chairman and CEO, in a statement.

“We are a significant step closer to providing people around the world with a much-needed breakthrough to help bring an end to this global health crisis.”

Read more: Why Pfizer vaccine is not for Pakistan?

RT with additional input from GVS news desk