Running Against the Clock: Developing a COVID-19 Vaccine

You can read our editorial coverage of this panel here.

When WHO declared a COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, the pharmaceutical industry stepped up to the plate to develop a vaccine, which has been a significant challenge but has also led to a great deal of collaboration in the industry, agreed panelists on Day 2 of Mexico Health Summit. Mario Sturion, Managing Director of Janssen Mexico, said having a vaccine ready and many other developments in Phase 3 of clinical trials would have been unthinkable before 2020. However, this is a process that should not be rushed. Juan Silanes, CEO of Inosan Biopharma, also said information is the cornerstone to achieve goals regarding treatment and vaccination. Participants, including Yolanda Cervantes, Vaccine Medical Director at GSK Mexico, and Cecilia Padierna, Business Development Manager of LEI, hailed initiatives to ensure vaccine access such as COVAX and CEPI and reminded that the industry's main goal is to treat people and give them hope that things can get better.