Pfizer, BioNTech say vaccine expected to be ready for approval by December

If it receives marketing approval, the companies are preparing to make up to 100 million doses by the end of 2020 and another 1.2 billion doses by the end of 2021.

Small bottles labeled with a "Vaccine COVID-19" sticker and a medical syringe are seen in this illustration (photo credit: REUTERS/ DADO RUVIC)
Small bottles labeled with a "Vaccine COVID-19" sticker and a medical syringe are seen in this illustration
(photo credit: REUTERS/ DADO RUVIC)
BioNTech SE and Pfizer Inc's COVID-19 vaccine candidate is expected to be ready to seek regulatory approval by the end of 2020, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing the German biotech firm's chief executive officer.
The experimental vaccine, which showed promise against the fast-spreading respiratory illness in early stage human testing, is expected to move into a large trial involving 30,000 healthy participants later this month, pending regulatory nod.
If it receives marketing approval, the companies are preparing to make up to 100 million doses by the end of 2020 and another 1.2 billion doses by the end of 2021 at sites in Germany and the United States, Reuters reported last week.
Several hundred million doses could be produced even before the approval, according to the WSJ report 
BioNTech and Pfizer did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.
The drug is one of 17 being tested on humans in a frantic global race to find a vaccine the world is counting on to end a pandemic that has infected 10.5 million people and killed more than half a million so far.