1. In the vaccine race, there won’t be just one winner. “The idea isn’t to pick a winner; it’s to have multiple shots on goal,” said Dr. Mark McClellan, Director of the Duke Margolis Center for Health Policy.
“Everyone will need to work together,” added Dr. Peter Marks, Director of FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. “This is really a global issue where we're all connected.”
Dr. Fauci likewise said he expects “more than one winner” in both vaccines and therapeutics.
2. The pandemic has shown just how interconnected global biotech R&D has become. During the international plenary, Amgen's Christophe Bourdon pointed out the importance of investing in science before a second outbreak occurs: “We know it’s going to come, and we cannot be taken by surprise.”
“Science is a global enterprise and we need to bring together the best and brightest minds, wherever they are, across borders and across sectors,” echoed the National Academy of Medicine’s Dr. Margaret Hamburg during the vaccine plenary.
3. But we have to think about the vaccine supply chain, too. During the third and final part of the vaccine plenary, panelists said scaling up manufacturing is equally important as developing the science. In fact, Moderna is already investing in manufacturing space, equipment, and raw materials.
If investing in manufacturing now before we have an approved vaccine saves even two weeks in delivering an eventual vaccine, we’ll save even more in terms of human lives and the economy, added CEPI’s Dr. Richard Hatchett.
4. Everything we do now will help us prepare for the next pandemic. "Developing a safe and effective vaccine in a global pandemic is a daunting challenge," said John Markels, President, Global Vaccines at Merck, while discussing his company’s experience with Ebola. "We need to be better prepared in the future, and I do think all the things we're doing now will put us in a better position.”
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