Pfizer (PFE 0.63%) recently won Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for its coronavirus vaccine. And this week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will consider an EUA for Moderna (MRNA 4.95%). But that doesn't mean smooth sailing ahead. In this Motley Fool Live video recorded on Dec. 11, 2020, Healthcare and Cannabis Bureau Chief Corinne Cardina and Fool.com contributor Adria Cimino discuss potential roadblocks for Pfizer and Moderna in the coming months.
Corinne Cardina: As some of the vaccine candidates are starting to cross the finish line, the landscape is moving somewhat away from vaccine development and toward the world of actual vaccination. We're seeing some reality checks set in. Pfizer did cut its planned number of expected doses by the end of the year in half. Should investors expect similar revisions from Moderna or others?
Adria Cimino: I think it could be likely. I think it's possible, especially since Moderna is so new to this. It is a clinical stage company, so it has never done this before. This is something new. It's one thing to say they're going to produce 500 million to 1 billion doses of vaccine by the end of next year. Also, there's a big gap between 500 million and 1 billion. That's a pretty big gap. I think that it's definitely possible that there could be some shifts there.
Cardina: Absolutely. Beyond the manufacturing, are there any other obstacles that Pfizer or Moderna could run into as it pertains to distribution?
Cimino: I think that Pfizer, they've done a lot to prepare for the distribution. As far as the ultra-low temperatures, they've developed special packing containers with dry ice to keep everything cold and everything. So, I think they've done a lot, but I still think there are challenges. There are certain areas and countries that don't have a whole lot of infrastructure who are going to struggle with this or won't even try it, and they're just going to go for another vaccine option. In the U.S., there are certain rural areas that maybe would have difficulty. I think that that will remain a challenge.
As for Moderna, I think the challenge is actually not so much the distribution, but really the manufacturing, the ramp-up. Now, they've partnered with Lonza in Europe, an expert on this, and so that will help. But I think that still, you have to have the trained staff, the facilities, and everything, and there might be a few glitches and those sorts of things that happen along the way.
