Head of FDA Advisory Panel Predicts Approval for Pfizer’s Covid-19 Vaccine

The leader of the advisory panel charged with evaluating the first Covid-19 vaccination to come before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says the shot is very likely to obtain emergency-use authorization.

“I would predict the likelihood of approval is high,” said Arnold Monto, a University of Michigan health researcher who chairs the advisory committee. “We’re not at the borderline on efficacy,” he added, referring to data from the vaccine’s makers— Pfizer Inc. and Germany’s BioNTech SE—showing the shot is 95% effective at protecting against Covid-19, significantly higher than the 50% minimum the FDA had said would be required for an emergency authorization.