NINE COVID VACCINE MAKERS VOW TO STAND WITH SCIENCE

Nine pharmaceutical companies pledged on Tuesday to "uphold the integrity of the scientific process" as they face pressure to quickly produce a coronavirus vaccine, Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) reported late on September 8, 2020.

In a joint statement, the drugmakers said they would only submit the vaccines for approval after demonstrating safety and efficacy through "large, high quality clinical trials." They promised to "always make the safety and well-being of vaccinated individuals our top priority."

The pledge is signed by the chief executives of AstraZeneca, BioNTech, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Moderna, Novavax, Pfizer and Sanofi.

"We believe this pledge will help ensure public confidence in the rigorous scientific and regulatory process by which COVID-19 vaccines are evaluated and may ultimately be approved," they said. The unusual move comes amid concerns that political pressure to quickly roll out inoculations could undermine public trust in them, potentially deterring people from taking a vaccine.

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