Federal prosecutors in Manhattan are currently investigating allegations that Pfizer deliberately delayed announcing the success of its COVID-19 vaccine in 2020 until after the presidential election.
The claim was initially brought forward by British pharmaceutical company GSK, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The investigation stems from information shared by a former Pfizer scientist, Philip Dormitzer, who later worked at GSK, NYPost said.
According to GSK executives, Dormitzer had reportedly stated that Pfizer withheld its vaccine trial results until after the election.
However, Dormitzer has denied this interpretation, insisting that Pfizer and its team acted as quickly as possible to secure emergency authorization from the FDA.
"My Pfizer colleagues and I did everything we could to get the FDA's Emergency Use Authorization at the very first possible moment," Dormitzer said in a statement. "Any other interpretation of my comments about the pace of the vaccine's development would be incorrect."
The US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York has interviewed at least two individuals connected to the case, including a GSK executive who documented a conversation with Dormitzer.
A third interview is reportedly planned in the coming days, though no officials from Pfizer have been questioned at this point.
Federal prosecutors in Manhattan are reviewing a claim brought by British drugmaker GSK that Pfizer delayed announcing the “success” of its COVID-19 vaccine in 2020 until after the presidential election, according to sources familiar with the matter. The allegation, if… pic.twitter.com/OzzCJntf1P
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Pfizer Denies Allegations of Delaying Vaccine Announcement
This inquiry follows long-standing claims from former President Donald Trump, who has accused Pfizer of delaying the vaccine's announcement to undermine his administration.
Despite these assertions, no evidence has surfaced to confirm that Pfizer intentionally postponed revealing its vaccine's effectiveness. The company has maintained that its development and approval processes were strictly driven by science and regulatory guidelines.
According to WallStreetJournal, Pfizer stated that the vaccine's success was the result of "the tireless work of scientists, regulators, and thousands of clinical trial volunteers."
The company also emphasized that any claims of misconduct are baseless, adding that it remains fully prepared to provide transparency regarding the vaccine's development timeline.
The timing of Pfizer's announcement in November 2020—just days after the election—has remained a contentious issue, particularly as the vaccine was widely regarded as a historic medical breakthrough.
The company has reiterated that its clinical trial results were reviewed by an independent data safety monitoring board, which informed Pfizer of the findings on November 8.
Two days later, the company publicly shared the results, revealing that the vaccine was highly effective in preventing COVID-19.
GSK, which has a history of legal disputes with Pfizer over vaccine patents, has refrained from commenting on the investigation. The company has stated that Dormitzer's departure from GSK was unrelated to this matter.
Originally published on vcpost.com
