Pfizer CEO Decries Politicization Of COVID-19 Vaccine During Trump-Biden Debate

Pfizer Inc PFE CEO Albert Bourla decried the politicization of the COVID-19 vaccine in an internal memo on Thursday, CNBC reported.

What Happened: Bourla expressed his disappointment over the first presidential debate between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden, saying that the hyperbole around the coronavirus vaccines was “undercutting public confidence,” according to CNBC.

"Once more, I was disappointed that the prevention for a deadly disease was discussed in political terms rather than scientific facts,” wrote Bourla.

The Pfizer CEO said that even as the company was approaching its goal of producing a vaccine, it found itself in the “crucible of the U.S. Presidential election.”

“In this hyper-partisan year, there are some who would like us to move more quickly and others who argue for delay. Neither of those options are acceptable to me,” Bourla wrote in the memo.

Bourla said that there were no political considerations to Pfizer’s vaccine timeline and the company was moving “at the speed of science.”

Why It Matters: The executive clarified that Pfizer hasn't taken any funding from any government, saying, “Our independence is a precious asset,” as per CNBC.

Moderna Inc. MRNA CEO Stéphane Bancel said Wednesday that the company would not be able to apply for an emergency use authorization before Nov. 25, which is after the presidential elections.

Canaccord Genuity analyst Arlinda Lee pitched a year-end timeline for the vaccine based on two key Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention meetings scheduled for this month.

Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson JNJ, Novavax, Inc NVAX are all conducting late-stage human trials of their respective COVID-19 vaccines.

Price Action: Pfizer shares closed 0.85% lower at $36.37 on Thursday.

Photo courtesy: Lauri Silvennoinen via Wikimedia