Pfizer, Moderna CEOs Reportedly Decline Invites to White House Summit as Trump Plans Victory Lap for Vaccines
Pfizer and Moderna, the two major drug manufacturers set to receive authorizations for a coronavirus vaccine in the upcoming weeks, reportedly declined invitations from President Donald Trump to appear at the White House "Vaccine Summit."
Despite previously attacking Pfizer by claiming that the company purposefully delayed their coronavirus vaccine until after the election, Trump invited CEO Albert Bourla, along with Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel, to appear on a panel about the vaccine.
Both CEOs declined the invitation, according to the medical news outlet STAT.
Pfizer has been attempting to separate themselves from Operation Warp Speed and did not accept money from them to help develop the vaccine, though the company has signed a $1.95 billion deal to deliver 100 million doses of a vaccine through the initiative.
The summit is set for Dec. 8 — two days before the FDA advisory committee plans to examine data submitted by Pfizer regarding their vaccines– and will reportedly feature Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, several GOP governors, and private-sector executives. The Daily Beast reports that the summit was scheduled before invitations were extended to Bourla and Bancel.
In a statement regarding the summit, White House spokesman Brian Morgenstern said that Trump “looks forward to convening leaders from the federal government, state governments, private sector, military, and scientific community for a comprehensive discussion with the American people as the administration prepares to deliver this historic, life-saving vaccine to every zip code in the United States within 24 hours of an FDA approval.”
Both CEOs declined the invitation, according to the medical news outlet STAT.
Pfizer has been attempting to separate themselves from Operation Warp Speed and did not accept money from them to help develop the vaccine, though the company has signed a $1.95 billion deal to deliver 100 million doses of a vaccine through the initiative.
The summit is set for Dec. 8 — two days before the FDA advisory committee plans to examine data submitted by Pfizer regarding their vaccines– and will reportedly feature Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, several GOP governors, and private-sector executives. The Daily Beast reports that the summit was scheduled before invitations were extended to Bourla and Bancel.
In a statement regarding the summit, White House spokesman Brian Morgenstern said that Trump “looks forward to convening leaders from the federal government, state governments, private sector, military, and scientific community for a comprehensive discussion with the American people as the administration prepares to deliver this historic, life-saving vaccine to every zip code in the United States within 24 hours of an FDA approval.”