Pfizer has launched a pilot program in four states to try to work out any potential kinks in delivering its experimental COVID-19 vaccine — amid questions over distribution hurdles involving the immunization’s required ultra-cold storage.
The Manhattan-based drugmaker said it has selected New Mexico, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Texas to do dry runs involving the distribution of its promising vaccine, which has yet to be approved by the FDA.
The vaccine, shown to be more than 90 percent effective, must be shipped and stored at minus 94°F, significantly below the standard for vaccines of 36 to 46°F.
“We are hopeful that results from this vaccine delivery pilot will serve as the model for other US states and international governments, as they prepare to implement effective COVID-19 vaccine programs,” Pfizer said in a statement Monday.
The company said it picked the trial states after taking into account their differences in overall size, diversity of populations, immunization infrastructure and the need to reach people in various urban and rural settings.
The four states will not be receiving actual doses for use any earlier than anywhere else in the US, Pfizer said.
Pfizer expects to have enough safety data on its inoculation from the late-stage trials by later this month before proceeding to apply for emergency use authorization.
The manufacturer and its partner BioNTech already have a $1.95 billion deal to supply 100 million doses to the US government, which has an option to acquire up to an additional 500 million doses.
Rival Moderna on Monday said its experimental vaccine was 94.5 percent effective based on interim data from a late-stage trial.
Both the Pfizer and Moderna shots use a new technology called synthetic messenger RNA to activate the immune system against the deadly bug.