Founded in 1891, Merck has been in the vaccine industry for over 100 years and has developed some of the world’s most famous vaccines, including those for mumps, hepatitis A and chickenpox. In 2019, it was the first company to obtain the Food and Drug Administration’s approval for an Ebola vaccine.
However, when the coronavirus began to spread around the world, Merck was slow to announce plans for a vaccine. By the end of May, details of two vaccine candidates, most of its biggest competitors had already announced deals, and Pfizer and Moderna had already begun early clinical trials.
But Merck does not have to be first to win. Managers decided to pursue two projects that they said had advantages over competitors. One vaccine, developed in collaboration with the International AIDS Vaccination Initiative, would rely on the same technology, based on a harmless livestock virus, which produced their successful Ebola vaccine. The other, obtained through a purchase of Themis Bioscience, was based on an existing measles vaccine.
Both of the experimental Covid vaccines, according to the company, will be tested using a single dose, and Merck has also investigated the oral administration of the one using the livestock virus – two major advantages over potential competitors, in particular. in the developing world.
In July, Merck CEO Kenneth C. Frazier warned against moving too fast. “I think that when people, for example, tell the public that there is going to be a vaccine by 2020, I think they are doing a serious disservice to the public,” he said. Frazier said in an interview with a professor at Harvard Business School. Mr. Frazier recently announced that he will retire as CEO later this year, a decision that has long been planned.
In an interview in August, dr. Nicholas Kartsonis, Merck’s senior vice president of clinical research on vaccines and infectious diseases, said the company’s position as a leading vaccine manufacturer gives it the luxury of time. ‘We are a much bigger company. “We do not look like we should be first,” he said.