[JoMar]

Moderna took $1.B from the Government and Pfizer took $0.0. Wonder what the strings are on that one or is Pfizer just financially better equipped to develop and deliver?

[Stu from NYC]

I believe Pfizer's German partner took money from the German govt.

[Stu from NYC]

I believe Pfizer's German partner took money from the German govt.

I would be surprised if they did not come out well ahead in selling the vaccine

[Papa_lecki]

Moderna is a startup who was doing research on flu vaccinations. When COVID hit, they needed to revamp their research and the entire supply chain. I am sure the pricing the government is paying Moderna vs Pfizer for each dose reflects that.
The government gives BILLIONS in grants all over the world.

Not sure why this is an issue, unless we start commenting on all the grants.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by JoMar

Moderna took $1.B from the Government and Pfizer took $0.0. Wonder what the strings are on that one or is Pfizer just financially better equipped to develop and deliver?

There's more than one government. Since, afterall, there's more than one country. International pharmaceutical corporations (thankfully) don't rely exclusively on the USA for funding. The USA isn't everyone's rich uncle. And at the moment we're more "that rich, greedy, eccentric, not-very-bright third cousin whose mother was dumb enough to marry her own brother."

[njbchbum]

I believe Pfizer took $1.95 billion from the U.S. Operation Warp Speed for production and distribution; though none for vaccine development.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

There's more than one government. Since, afterall, there's more than one country. International pharmaceutical corporations (thankfully) don't rely exclusively on the USA for funding. The USA isn't everyone's rich uncle. And at the moment we're more "that rich, greedy, eccentric, not-very-bright third cousin whose mother was dumb enough to marry her own brother."

Maybe you think that way but everyone doesn't.

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

There's more than one government. Since, afterall, there's more than one country. International pharmaceutical corporations (thankfully) don't rely exclusively on the USA for funding. The USA isn't everyone's rich uncle. And at the moment we're more "that rich, greedy, eccentric, not-very-bright third cousin whose mother was dumb enough to marry her own brother."

We are still the best country in the world even though not perfect.

[njbchbum]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

snip The USA isn't everyone's rich uncle. And at the moment we're more "that rich, greedy, eccentric, not-very-bright third cousin whose mother was dumb enough to marry her own brother."

Just your opinion - for what it's worth.

[nick demis]

Originally Posted by JoMar

Moderna took $1.B from the Government and Pfizer took $0.0. Wonder what the strings are on that one or is Pfizer just financially better equipped to develop and deliver?

The stipulation with Moderna was that they only sell to the US until our need is met and than they can sell to the rest of the world. Pfizer is only supplying 25%, and that may decrease, of their vaccines to the US and the rest to the rest of the world.

[UseYourBrain]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

There's more than one government. Since, afterall, there's more than one country. International pharmaceutical corporations (thankfully) don't rely exclusively on the USA for funding. The USA isn't everyone's rich uncle. And at the moment we're more "that rich, greedy, eccentric, not-very-bright third cousin whose mother was dumb enough to marry her own brother."

That is true if you believe all the rhetoric on your news channel. They love drama and judgements and using adjectives when not needed because unfortunately people like it. As it so happens we ARE the rich uncle when it comes to pharmaceutical development. We pay for it in our drug prices and everyone else mooches. But if we don’t pay, it won’t get done.

[Burgy]

Originally Posted by Papa_lecki

Moderna is a startup who was doing research on flu vaccinations. When COVID hit, they needed to revamp their research and the entire supply chain. I am sure the pricing the government is paying Moderna vs Pfizer for each dose reflects that.
The government gives BILLIONS in grants all over the world.

Not sure why this is an issue, unless we start commenting on all the grants.

Yes Moderna is very small compared to Pfizer. Those two are the ones that are using messenger RNA[hence Moderna] as the breakthrough process for the vaccine instead of chicken eggs and time. Whatever the financial process both are coming through at unheardof speed. And we should be thankful it's happening.

[JustRita]

Or did Pfizer get liability protection instead

[Villages Kahuna]

Yes of course there would have been “strings” if Pfizer had accepted payment from the government. I believe the term that Pfizer most objected to was an option that would have been created for our government to purchase doses of the vaccine without paying for them in advance. Our government ordered and paid for only 50 million doses.

Pfizer told the administration that they should order at least 300 million more doses. Pfizer explained that they intended to sell the vaccine to other buyers if our government did not place the order. The administration declined. Pfizer then offered the vaccine to other countries, which quickly placed orders snapping up the supply once Pfizer received FDA approval. England, Germany and other European countries as well as Canada were the principal buyers.

When it became apparent that the pandemic was worsening our government attempted to place a large order with Pfizer but were told that they were “sold out” until June or July filing the orders from other countries.

All of the other eight companies, including Moderna accepted investments from the World Health Organization (WHO). A condition of those investments were that the 172 member countries of WHO would get preference in buying vaccine from those companies when their vaccines were approved. Because the Trump administration had withdrawn the U.S. from WHO membership, we had no ability to place orders pre-empting those placed by WHO members.

Moderna, being a somewhat larger company and because orders by more financially capable countries had already been filled by Pfizer, has been able to fill U.S. orders after their vaccine received approval earlier this week. That’s why all the news we’ve seen in the last few days refer to people getting the Moderna vaccine; the Pfizer product won’t be readily available until this summer.

Presumably more vaccine will become available when and if the other seven developers receive FDA approval. But for the next several months the U.S. will be limited to getting vaccine from Moderna, until Pfizer fulfills the orders from Europe and Canada.

[jwonycr]

COVID-19 did an estimated $16 Trillion damage to the U.S. economy. The U.S. government fronted about $10 Billion to get an effective vaccine in under a year. Sounds like a helluva deal to me.