Pharmaceutical company Moderna Inc will not apply for emergency use permits for the Covid-19 vaccine it developed before the U.S. presidential election on November 3, the company's chief executive officer said.
Stephane Bancel, who spoke to the Financial Times, said the company would not be ready to get emergency use permission from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before November 25.
This is because, Moderna needs to ensure the safety of the vaccine first and have enough data to obtain emergency use consent.
The firm also does not expect to get full approval from the FDA to distribute the vaccine to all Americans until the end of January 2021 and if it proves safe and effective, approval may be obtained at least by the end of March or April.
Moderna is one of the main pioneers in the race for the Covid-19 vaccine, in addition to Pfizer. Bancel's prediction of when the Moderna vaccine will be available may be contrary to President Donald Trump, who says the vaccine is ready for distribution in early October.
While Pfizer, which also promises a potential vaccine, said it is still in the final stages of clinical trials and its chief executive officer, Albert Bourla said it will have an answer on the effectiveness of the vaccine by the end of October.
