Global pharma bosses vow to put science first in race for Covid-19 vaccine

The bosses of nine of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies pledged to put science and safety first in the race to find a vaccine for Covid-19.

Chief executive officers of nine of the front-runners in efforts to develop a vaccine, AstraZeneca, BioNTech SE, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Merck & Co., Moderna, Novavax, Pfizer and Sanofi made their vow public through a joint letter.

They committed themselves not to pursue short-cuts in the development of the vaccines nor to seek regulatory approval before a vaccine candidate's efficacy and safety had first been proven in a large scale clinical trial.

"We believe this pledge will help ensure public confidence in the rigorous scientific and regulatory process by which COVID-19 vaccines are evaluated and may ultimately be approved."

In particular, they highlighted the US Food and Drug Administration's "clear guidance" for vaccine development and the "clear criteria" set out for their potential authorisation for use in the US.