Pfizer, BioNTech Say Hackers Accessed COVID-19 Vaccine Development Data

Pfizer Inc PFE and its German partner BioNTech SE BNTX said on Wednesday that hackers illegally accessed documents related to their COVID-19 vaccine in an attack on the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

What Happened: The two companies said in a statement they believe the personal data of trial participants were not compromised and that the EMA had assured them that the incident would not impact the timeline of the vaccine’s review.

Pfizer and BioNTech said their systems had not been breached in the attack.

“At this time, we await further information about EMA’s investigation and will respond appropriately and in accordance with EU law,” the two companies said.

Why It Matters: The EMA gave a six-week time frame for opinions on the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

Subject to the robustness of the data, the EMA’s scientific committee for human medicines will provide its assessment during special meetings scheduled for Dec. 29 for Pfizer and on Jan. 12 for Moderna Inc MRNA.

Moderna has also been the target of Chinese government-linked hackers, which attempted to steal data from its computer network, according to Reuters.

Documents accessed in the attack could be valuable to other countries and companies who are in a race to develop a vaccine, Reuters reported.

Price Action: Pfizer shares closed 1.65% lower at $41.85 on Wednesday and gained 0.84% in the after-hours session. On the same day, BioNTech shares closed nearly 4.1% lower at $122.81 and rose 2.59% in the after-hours session to $125.99.

Related Link: Allergy Warning Issued For Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine In UK