Pfizer’s latest vaccine for the Middle East, developed in collaboration with the United States of America’s (USA) Government, offers the possibility of a completely new disease-fighting paradigm. Dubbed ‘Fast-Track,’ the vaccine has the potential to dramatically reduce the spread of COVID-19, the pandemic that has so far affected more than 200 countries around the world. In the Middle East, where the worst effects of the pandemic have been felt, the vaccine could well become the world’s best-selling medicine.
The pharmaceutical giant is marketing the drug in more than 30 countries, with the USA and two other Middle Eastern countries – Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – leading the way. In the latter two, it is currently on sale for pre-authority testing.
Pfizer has also provided full support to the WHO, the UN’s specialized agency, which has led the way in combatting the pandemic while also calling for global cooperation. Given the pandemic’s devastating impact, it is not difficult to appreciate the company’s ongoing commitment to COVID-19 research and development (R&D).
The Evolution of COVID-19 Vaccine
The first COVID-19 vaccine to go through phase III clinical trials was developed by the Swiss health-tech company CureVac and is known as ‘Swiss-COVID-19.’ It is an inactivated, virus-based vaccine designed to elicit an immune response in patients similar to that produced by the body during an actual infection. According to the biotechnology company, hundreds of thousands of vaccinations are now available for private purchase in a number of countries, including the USA, Germany, and France, and they are being administered to more than 10,000 people across Europe. However, the vaccine has yet to be approved for public use.
Last year, Pfizer entered the field with a similar vaccine, known as ‘Pfizer-COVID-19.’ The medicine, which was in collaboration with the US government, also went through phase III clinical trials and is now being prescribed to more than 30,000 people in the USA. It differs from Swiss-COVID-19 in that it is a subunit vaccine. This means it is composed of a fragment – or a part – of the virus, making it easier for the body to recognize and mount a defense against it. The vaccine also contains a potent adjuvant that, according to clinical data, boosted the immune response in patients by about 10 times in phase II trials. This means that, at least in theory, it could be a bit more effective than the inactivated virus vaccine – or at least provide a better chance of providing significant protection to those who were vaccinated.
A Japanese vaccine known as ‘GLSV 501’ is also currently in phase III trials. Developed by the GLSV Group and backed by a number of prominent investors, the vaccine – designed to stimulate the immune system – is expected to enter clinical testing in 2021. It is designed to elicit a broadly reactive immune response in patients that can protect them from multiple strains of the COVID-19 virus. In addition to the vaccine, the GLSV Group is in the process of developing a COVID-19 test that, if successful, could lead to a dramatic decrease in the number of infections and a significant reduction in the worldwide spread of the virus. With about 150 people already having volunteered to participate in GLSV Group’s clinical trials, it is clear that the company is determined to produce a vaccine that will be effective in the fight against COVID-19.
There is also an injectable COVID-19 vaccine being developed by the French biotech company Adjuvant Sciences. The medicine, which is being administered to more than 500 people as part of a phase II trial, is designed to stimulate the production of antibodies in the body. Early data from the trial shows promise, with 83% of patients in the trial showing an improvement in their condition, and 27% showing a complete recovery. The French drug company, Sanofi, is also developing an injectable COVID-19 vaccine that, like Adjuvant Sciences’ drug, is designed to elicit an antibody response. However, the vaccine, known as ‘Adjucanthera,’ is far simpler and, according to the researchers who developed it, is less prone to cause adverse effects. One of its key advantages is that patients do not need to undergo the 28-day quarantine that is required for some other COVID-19 vaccines. This makes it easier for healthcare providers to administer the shot to those who need it most, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where the pandemic has hit hardest. The WHO has, since the start of the year, recommended the medicine for use in eligible patients in these countries and is working to make it available for wide use. However, it still needs to undergo clinical trials before it is approved for use by all healthcare providers in these countries.
Why the Middle East?
Around 90% of COVID-19’s known cases worldwide have come from just five countries: the USA, Italy, Spain, Brazil, and France. However, it is in the Middle East where the pandemic has been most devastating. More than 83,500 people in the region have already succumbed to the virus, while over 300,000 have been diagnosed with COVID-19. About two-thirds of those infected have required some sort of medical assistance, with about 15,000 needing intensive care. About 200 people have died in the two most affected countries – Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – alone. This is, in large part, due to the fact that both of these countries have implemented some of the most stringent – and sometimes ridiculous – quarantines in the world. As a result, the death rate per 100,000 people is alarmingly high in both countries.
It is this sort of situation that has driven Pfizer’s research efforts into a fast-track project aimed at developing a vaccine that could be deployed, ideally, in the MENA region. The company hopes, eventually, to have a vaccine ready for public use in one of its Middle Eastern markets as soon as next year. While COVID-19 has mainly been a concern for people in wealthy countries with advanced healthcare infrastructures, it has primarily been a death sentence for those living in developing countries with less stringent – and sometimes non-existent – health-care infrastructures. This has made the pharmaceutical giant determined to develop a vaccine that could be more effective in these countries. A successful vaccine could, potentially, have a huge impact in the fight against the pandemic. It is also, with the company’s headquarters in New York and major markets such as the USA, Europe, and Japan, a potentially lucrative business opportunity.
Pfizer’s new vaccine was initially developed in partnership with the US government, specifically the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The company is, therefore, seeking to gain regulatory approval in the USA and then roll out the vaccine globally. Given the significance of the regulatory approval process, particularly in light of the pandemic, it is not difficult to understand why Pfizer is, at least for now, refraining from recommending the vaccine for widespread use outside of its trial group. However, the company’s support of the WHO and its pandemic work alongside the USA Government, offering the possibility of a new, effective vaccine, is admirable, and, hopefully, will lead to better healthcare for everyone in the long run.