BioNTech chief expects to file for approval of Covid-19 vaccine towards end 2020

(Sharecast News) - The head of German biotechnology outfit BioNTech thinks that his company will be file for regulatory approval of its Covid-19 vaccine before the end of 2020.
In remarks to the Wall Street Journal, Ugur Sahin, said he believed the filing could take place in December.

That was later than the expected October filing that executives at Pfizer, with whom BioNTech was developing the vaccine, had indicated in recent weeks.

Sahin reportedly also said the firm was likely to be able to produce over 1.0bn doses in 2021, with production set to start even before regulatory approval is obtained.

Nonetheless, even should several companies successfully launch vaccines it could take a decade for 90.0% of the world's population to achieve immunity, the executive added.

A phase 3 clinical trial of its vaccine candidate was scheduled to start in July.