The US is working to maximize vaccine production after Pfizer notifies the government of manufacturing problems.
U.S. officials are working with Pfizer Inc to help maximize production capacity for its COVID-19 vaccine after the drug company told them it may be facing manufacturing challenges, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar said on Wednesday. a press call.
Pfizer did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but its Chief Executive Albert Bourla told CNBC earlier this week that the company asked the US government to use the Defense Production Act to lift some “critical supply restrictions,” especially in some components. He gave no further details about the scarcity.
Officials have not set out what the specific production challenges were. They said they are well acquainted with the manufacturing materials and equipment needed to make vaccines based on their work with other drug manufacturers.
“We were recently made aware by them of the various challenges they may face in their production and we will ensure that, by whatever mechanism, we provide full support to ensure that they can produce for the American people , ”said Azar.
US Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar says US officials are working to ensure Pfizer can produce tens of millions of doses of vaccine [File: Erin Scott/Reuters]
Ugur Sahin, CEO of Pfizer’s partner, BioNTech, told Reuters last week that Pfizer’s initial 2020 production target of 100 million doses had been cut in half earlier this year, in part due to raw material supply issues. He said this has now been resolved and production has started on a large scale.
The US government is in active talks with Pfizer to secure an additional 100 million doses, Operation Warp Speed chief adviser Dr. Moncef Slaoui said on the call. It had previously contracted Pfizer for the option to purchase up to 500 million additional doses at an unspecified price.
Officials said on Wednesday that the US has already closed 300 million vaccine doses in the coming months between the Pfizer / BioNTech injection and one from Moderna, and a total of 900 million doses from drug manufacturers developing COVID-19 vaccines.
Moderna’s vaccine is likely to be approved as early as Friday, they said.