When the COVID-19 pandemic comes under control, “we are not going back to February of 2020”, in how we control other diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria, says Trevor Mundel, the president of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The pandemic has shown how government regulators, manufacturers and companies can innovate faster and continue to do so in the fight against other diseases, Mundel explained. “This is the new normal standard.”
This is the first time that a vaccine has gone from inception to phase 3 trials, which involve human trials, in seven-eight months. What is the kind of research and innovation needed to produce the solutions the world needs? And is the pace sufficient? We asked Mundel, who has been the head of development at Novartis, and has worked in clinical research at Pfizer and Parke Davis. He is also a medical doctor with a PhD in mathematics from the University of Chicago. Read More…
