Pfizer CEO Bourla Says Fourth Dose May Come Sooner Than Expected

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla told CNBC on Thursday that we may need a fourth vaccine dose “faster” in order to combat the omicron variant of Covid-19.

Bourla had previously said that he anticipated the fourth shot to only be necessary one year after people had received their booster shots. But the executive is now walking back this statement, since much is still unknown about the efficacy of the vaccine against omicron:

“When we see real-world data we’ll determine if the omicron (variant) is well covered by the third dose and for how long,” Bourla said on the network’s “Squawk Box” program, maintaining that the booster “will give very good protection.”

When the show’s hosts asked about the timing of a fourth shot specifically geared towards the variant, Bourla replied that “we may need it faster,” depending on forthcoming data.

These remarks come only a day after the pharmaceutical company and its partner BioNTech released a statement announcing that three inoculations of their product “neutralized” the omicron variant in new laboratory tests.

“The first line of defense, with two doses of vaccination, might be compromised and three doses of vaccination are required to restore protection,” explained BioNTech Chief Medical Officer Ozlem Tuereci in a Wednesday press conference. However, he stated that the two doses many millions of people have now had all over the world may still protect against severe forms of the disease.

Just the two doses of the Pfizer product resulted in significantly lower neutralizing antibodies, Tuereci stated, but a third dose was exponentially more effective, upping that by a factor of 25.

Using samples of blood taken approximately one month after subjects obtained their booster shot, the Omicron variant was observed as being neutralized nearly as effectively as the original two doses worked against the original strain of the virus that was first identified in China.

Pfizer and BioNTech used a virus that they had bio-engineered to have the hallmark mutations of Omicron, known as a pseudovirus. The subjects’ blood samples were collected either three weeks after their second vaccine dose, or one month after a third.

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla born and raised in Thessaloniki

Albert Bourla is a descendant of the few survivors of the Jewish community of the city which was almost completely wiped out by the Nazis during World War II.

After graduating from high school, the Pfizer CEO went on to study at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He graduated with a Ph.D. in veterinary medicine and worked as a veterinarian for a time.

He joined Pfizer in 1993, first serving as a doctor of veterinary medicine and technical director for the company’s animal health division in Greece.

At the age of 34 he left Thessaloniki with his wife to join Pfizer Europe and work in several positions, coming to live in four different countries.

He served as Pfizer’s Animal Health division president for Europe, Africa and Middle East during 2005–2009, followed by the Europe, Africa, and Asia Pacific division during 2009–2010.

He also worked as Group President of Pfizer’s Global Vaccines, Oncology and Consumer Healthcare business.

After working for Pfizer for 25 years, he was promoted to Chief Operating Officer (COO) on January 1st 2018, and on January 1st 2019 he became Pfizer’s Chief Executive Officer.

In April of 2019, Bourla was presented with the award for the most “Preeminent Greek Leader” of the global pharmaceutical industry by United States Ambassador to Greece Geoffrey R. Pyatt, at the Prix Galien Greece Awards ceremony.