Bill Gates Says 6 COVID-19 Vaccines Likely To Get Regulatory Approval By Q1

Microsoft Corporation MSFT co-founder Bill Gates said that nearly half a dozen vaccines from different manufacturers could be available by the spring of 2021, CNBC reported Tuesday.

What Happened: “I expect that we’ll have about six vaccines approved by the first quarter,” the billionaire philanthropist said, speaking through videoconferencing at Singapore’s fintech Festival, CNBC reported.

Apart from Pfizer Inc PFE and BioNTech’s SE BNTX vaccine — which has gained approval in some geographies, candidates from Moderna Inc MRNA, AstraZeneca Plc AZN, Johnson & Johnson JNJ and Novavax, Inc NVAX could get regulatory approval in the coming months, according to Gates.

Why It Matters: Gates did not name the sixth vaccine and praised the regulators for “doing a great job,” as per CNBC.

Previously, Gates had said that he was “optimistic” that multiple vaccines would “prove very efficacious and safe” by February.

Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine could get emergency approval as early as Friday, according to a United States Food and Drugs Administration Advisor.

The company received emergency approval for its vaccine in the United Kingdom this month.

Pfizer has also applied for approval on an emergency basis in India, which has the second-highest number of coronavirus cases after the U.S.

Price Action: Microsoft shares closed unchanged at $214.29 on Monday and fell 0.28% in the after-hours session.

Related Link: Pfizer Tells US It Can't Provide Substantial Extra Doses Before June As Other Countries Have Already Secured Supply: WaPo

Photo courtesy of Kuhlmann via Wikimedia