Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla tweeted out that the company has never discussed the U.S Food and Drug Administration's COVID-19 vaccine guidelines with the White House and that it "will never do so as it could undermine the agency's independence." This comes shortly after Bourla made a statement in an internal email that expressed his frustration with how potential cornovirus vaccines were being politicized.
Bourla voiced his support of the FDA based on its "integrity and scientific expertise."
"In fact we believe [the FDA's] independence is today more important than ever as public trust in #COVID19 vaccine development has been eroded by the politicization of the process," Bourla writes.
The New York Times reported on Monday that White House officials are blocking the latest FDA guidelines for emergency release of a coronavirus vaccine. This includes a guideline that would ensure that no vaccine could be authorized before the November 3 presidential election.
Read the Reuters report