Pfizer dashes hope for COVID-19 vaccine data before the election

Enlarge / Albert Bourla, chief executive officer of Pfizer pharmaceutical company, bangs a gavel after ringing the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on Thursday afternoon, January 17, 2019 in New York City. (credit: Getty | Drew Angerer)

Pfizer's chief executive has dashed any lingering hope that we'll glimpse COVID-19 vaccine data before next week's election.

The pharmaceutical giant has the speediest clinical-trial design among the frontrunners in the COVID-19 vaccine race. And for weeks, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla has dangled the possibility that his company would have results by the end of October-an enticing prospect picked up by President Donald Trump, who has pushed for October vaccine news to bolster his re-election bid.

But in a call with investors Tuesday, Bourla indicated an October release was nearly impossible now. Researchers conducting the over 40,000-person trial have not yet analyzed preliminary data and, even if the data were available tomorrow, an outside panel would need at least a week to analyze any results, Bourla said.

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