News of potential COVID-19 vaccine met with optimism, caution

Effective therapies may come first, predicts Texas Biomed CEO

SAN ANTONIO – News that Pfizer Pharmaceutical has agreed to sell the U.S. government 100 million doses of a Covid-19 vaccine in December for $2 billion was a major announcement Wednesday.

“But I think we should still be cautious,” said Dr. Larry Schlesinger, president and CEO of Texas Biomedical Research Institute.

"It's a cautionary tale, but we're in the right direction," Schlesinger said.

Texas Biomed’s scientists and researchers have been at the forefront of the worldwide effort to find safe and effective vaccines and therapies to treat the coronavirus.

Although Pfizer has been put on the fast track for an expedited six-month review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Schlesinger said anything is possible.

He said the FDA may want more information or further experiments.

If so, he said it could be later in 2021 or 2022.

“That’s why I think we need to move therapies along because I think they can move faster,” Schlesinger said. “In fact, we may have better therapies before we have a vaccine.”

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About the Authors:

Jessie Degollado has been with KSAT since 1984. She is a general assignments reporter who covers a wide variety of stories. Raised in Laredo and as an anchor/reporter at KRGV in the Rio Grande Valley, Jessie is especially familiar with border and immigration issues. In 2007, Jessie also was inducted into the San Antonio Women's Hall of Fame.

William Caldera has been at KSAT since 2003. He covers a wide range of stories including breaking news, weather, general assignments and sports.