US FDA safety guidelines likely push COVID-19 vaccine authorization past election

Oct 6 - The US Food and Drug Administration told coronavirus vaccine developers on Tuesday it wants at least two months of safety data from half of their trial volunteers in order to authorize emergency use, a requirement that would likely push any US vaccine availability past the Nov 3 presidential election.

The FDA released the guidance laying out more stringent recommendations for drugmakers hoping to apply for an emergency use authorization (EUA) for their experimental vaccines.

The New York Times reported on Monday that the guidelines had been blocked by the White House. However, the FDA released a document containing a summary of advice it had given to vaccine makers suggesting the additional safety measure earlier on Tuesday. It later released the new guidance.

"Being open and clear about the circumstances under which the issuance of an emergency use authorization for a COVID-19 vaccine would be appropriate and is critical to building public confidence and ensuring the use of COVID-19 vaccines once available," Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA division responsible for approving vaccines, said in a statement.

The White House could still force authorization of a vaccine without that additional safety data. Doing so would put it in open disagreement with the FDA and its career scientists, and add to the perception that politics was playing a role in pushing out a vaccine.

If the agency follows its own guidelines, it is unlikely to authorize a vaccine before sometime in late November.

Pfizer Inc and partner BioNTech are currently expected to be the first to announce results from a late-stage US clinical trial.

About half the volunteers in the 44,000-subject Phase III trial had received the second dose of the two-shot vaccine by late September.

The head of the U.S. government's Operation Warp Speed vaccine development program said on Tuesday efficacy data on one or two vaccines will be available within the next month or two, and that there should be enough supply to immunize 30 million people during November and December.

Moderna Inc appears likely to be the second company after Pfizer that will have U.S. trial data available for an EUA review.

Pfizer Chief Executive Albert Bourla tweeted on Tuesday that the company had not discussed the FDA's standards with the White House, saying that could compromise the agency's independence.

The FDA's "public servants are known for their high integrity and scientific expertise and we have full faith in their ability to set appropriate standards for the approval of a COVID vaccine or treatment," Bourla said.

The FDA expects to hold separate meetings of its vaccine advisory committee before issuing an emergency use authorization for any experimental shot. 

Reuters