Pfizer(NYSE:PFE) and BioNTech(NASDAQ:BNTX) created a firestorm (in a good way) when they announced interim efficacy results for their coronavirus vaccine candidate BNT162b2 last Monday. Motley Fool Healthcare and Cannabis Bureau Chief Corinne Cardina and Fool.com contributor Keith Speights discussed those results earlier this week. In this Fool Live video, Corinne and Keith talk about the biggest takeaway from Pfizer's news.
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Corinne Cardina: Can you tell us about how you interpret these big headlines from Pfizer and BioNTech? As we've discussed, we don't have the raw data yet, it was a press release, but there's a lot of good stuff in there. What were your takeaways so far, and what are you going to be looking for once we do get the raw data?
Keith Speights: Sure. The big takeaway and the big surprise was that astounding efficacy of 90% or greater. I saw Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla was in an interview yesterday morning and the person talking to him said 90%. He stopped and said, "No, I said at least 90%. It could be better than that."
That was the big takeaway. That is excellent. I think even optimistic observers who were hoping for maybe a 70% in efficacy or 75%. I think our flu vaccine efficacy is typically in the neighborhood of 60%.
So if we're looking at 90%, that's just great news. That means that when people get this vaccine -- hopefully they will, it's not a done deal yet -- but when people get this vaccine, they can feel confident that it's going to protect them. That could make a big difference just in the psychology of Americans and people around the world.
