BioCentury
PODCAST | Product Development

Vaccines march forward & CAR Ts move earlier: a BioCentury podcast 

December 15, 2020 1:40 AM UTC

On the latest edition of the BioCentury this Week podcast, BioCentury editors discuss the latest advances and setbacks among COVID-19 vaccines in the wake of FDA’s emergency use authorization on Friday for Pfizer and BioNTech’s mRNA vaccine, as well as the market access barriers facing CAR T therapies as they continue to move into earlier treatment settings. 

Washington Editor Steve Usdin says FDA’s advisory committee meeting to discuss BNT162b2 from Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) and BioNTech SE (NASDAQ:BNTX) ahead of the EUA was a missed opportunity since committee members were not given a chance to explain their votes. While 17 members voted that the vaccine’s benefits outweighed its risks for individuals 16 years of age and older, four voted against it and one abstained. He expects more active discussion at the Dec. 17 advisory committee meeting on mRNA-1273 from Moderna Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA)...