Yoususpect that there are some countries behind. I hope so. When the team initially estimated a mid-2021 target for the development of a vaccine, which itself would have been a record . Albert Bourla of Pfizer calls antivirals a 'game changer' against the coronavirus. But I think we will reach the normal waves of social life that you can go tothecinema, that you can go to restaurants, that wedonthave to wear a mask. Well, he's half right, it has more to do with money than politics. ALBERT BOURLA:You know, I am a veterinarian by educational background, and after I graduated fromthe veterinaryschoolI did a PhD in the biotechnology of reproduction. And we came back,andI asked our team to develop a vaccine, then bring me plans. Butalsowe are working on multiple other targets,creating vaccines for other infectious diseases. I think we believe that life will go back to the way that we knew before. So that was easy. When the real virus comes your body is ready with antibodies soyoucan win easily the battle, or easier the battle. They were telling their stories, and then the moral of the stories was that nothing is impossible. 40.39 USD +0.21 +0.52% Pfizer Inc. Chief Executive Officer Albert Bourla said he tested positive for Covid-19 and is receiving Paxlovid, the treatment made by his company. [Nothing else] matters [other]than bringing the vaccine,asournumber-one priority. Contribution Totals. It was, I think, love at first sight and it was the beginning of a tremendous relationship, collaboration, between the two companies and me and him, particularly, in person. We knew that what weweredoingwasnot going to affect our lives. FREDERICK KEMPE:Youve also come to seeclose upthe inequities in the global health care system, which also has influence on recovering from COVID-19. ALBERT BOURLA:The future of the life-science sector is brilliant. When eventually our vaccine became very successful and we started producing enough quantities and maybe some others that have problems to deliver the quantities that they promised, then they all came back tous,and they asked that we want those. 2023 Atlantic Council Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said on ABC's "This Week" Sunday it's possible to provide both COVID-19 booster shots as well as doses for people who have not yet been vaccinated. Bourla cashed out with $5.6 million, selling Pfizer (PFE) at $41.94, according to an SEC filing. They areincreasing theexposure. That gives you a tremendous drive and this is what everyone on this team, in Pfizer and in BioNTech, did during these eight marvelous months. Youve called yourself a Greek by birth and American by choice, the son of Holocaust survivors from Thessaloniki, Greece. I took a plane [back], and on theplane,I wrote down the priorities that I felt that a company like ours should have, and the first wasthatwe need to make sure that we protect the safety of our people. Japan placed orders. No strings attached from anything that Iknow,and I can see. They donate them. [35], In 2020, Bourla pushed Pfizer employees for the fast development of a COVID-19 vaccine in partnership with German company BioNTech, making sure it is safe and effective. Are we closer now to something regarding cancer and mRNA? ALBERT BOURLA:Yes. Once you do that, then your body will recognize this protein that something is not normal that it should be here so it will develop antibodies against this protein, and then you will be protected when the real virus comes. It came after the elections. Bourla was motivated by an early love for animals and [11] He is a supporter of the Aris Thessaloniki sports club. Our programs and centers deliver in-depth, highly relevant issue briefs and reports that break new ground, shift opinions, and set agendas on public policy, with a focus on advancing debates by integrating foundational research and analysis with concrete policy solutions. The medicines, the good medicines, will reduce hospitalizations, will reduce other medical interventions,and, as a result, will bring savings to the health care system rather than anadditionalcost and, of course, will make the lives of humans longer and better, andImvery optimisticthat this will happen in the next decades. I think this is what stamped my personality from the early days, this optimism,and this belief that its never the end before it is really the end, and you can always do things to change your fate, and Im grateful to them for that. A hundred fifty million people in the world are moving to cities every year. Most of the vaccines, the principle is that youre introducing a part of the virus, lets say, into your body so that your body will create antibodies. As I understand it, there werefifty thousandGreek Jews before World WarIIin Thessaloniki and onlytwo thousandsurvived, and youve written this upbringing has shaped you. At the time, it was President Trump, and I had met President Trump before the pandemic and we had discussed health policy, mainly. 3483. I challenged my team and I[asked]them, are you sure that you want to go with mRNA? Albert Bourla, CEO of drugmaker Pfizer, has tested positive for Covid-19 and has "very mild symptoms," he said in a tweet on Monday. Sins of the Pfizer. He maintains a home in Chalkidiki, which he visits every summer. And if people are given the resources and they are given a very biggoal, if you force them to think big, they will surprise you. I tried to protect the company from being involved inthe politics. FREDERICK KEMPE:Talk about[your collaboration with BioNTech]and why this one has worked. The leaders [behind the vaccine]: One was a Turkish Muslim that immigrated to Germany. Albert BourlaPolitical Campaign Contributions2016 Election Cycle. Trying to be able to prove yourself also requires that you fight for what you believe is right. FREDERICK KEMPE:Tomorrow evening when you receive the award, before you receive yoursPresident of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen will receive our Distinguished International Leadership Award, but shell also introduce you for your award. "I would like to let you know that I have tested . Summary. Albert is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and holds a Ph.D. from the Veterinary School of Aristotle University. AbbVies Richard Gonzalez gave $26,240, with more than $20,000 of that going to McConnell-affiliated committees. Bloomberg Originals. FREDERICK KEMPE:And whats most promising among those? Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla shares Pfizer's plan to bring all its existing and future vaccines to 45 low-income countries at zero profit. It was a very humbling experience to be able to do that and, literally, meet families of many leadersinthe world because, you know, we had calls evenings and nights trying to find solutions to their problems, and that was also a very humbling experience. Everything can be done. SoI was thinking how we couldmaintain a surge in demand that could be 20, 30, 40, or 50 percent higher for some productsthanwe had before,while our plants had to operate under COVID-19restrictions. Amgens affiliated PAC gives to candidates that are generally supportive of policies to advance healthcare innovation and improve patient access to new and existing therapies. the spokeswoman, Kelley Davenport, said. ALBERT BOURLA:I hope so. Fromafirst glance, wecould be the exact opposite. [51] To benefit Greece, he organized vaccine donations, medical aid for refugees, and more than $1 million in medicine to help uninsured patients. We saw the firstvaccine ever, which was the COVID-19vaccine,with mRNA technology. By It is thatwhen it comes to leadership,peopledont know what they can and cannot do and, if anything, they have a severe tendency to underestimate what they can achieve. Albert Bourla. The leaders [behind the vaccine]: One was a Turkish Muslim that immigrated to Germany. The othertwenty-fiveyears I spent internationally. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy s campaign took in the second-highest amount from the slate of executives at $60,600 this year through three committees affiliated with him. This is disturbing, significantly, the educational system, and there are kids that will have severe symptoms [without our vaccine]". Pfizer's yearly high was just a few cents more at $41.99. You werent elected as a politician. "I think it is also not the right thing to try to resolve it with an 'or' when you can resolve it with an 'and,'" Bourla told "This Week" anchor George Stephanopoulos. The campaign of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and affiliated committees were the leading beneficiaries, raking in more than $91,000 from five top industry executives in 2019, Federal Election Commission records show. They need to give them for free to the poorest countries of the world and this is what they want todo,and this is what they are doing. Because, obviously, theres a lot of pressure on them as well, as you said, as human beings. These teams reallythoughtbig. Heres why. You identify the tumor and then you send a message through the messenger RNA to yourself, start attacking this tumor. There are people that are skeptical about the vaccination, andboth of themare afraid. That story, who can write that story and set . Albert Bourla, the head of Pfizer, gave $60,783 to a list of committees affiliated with Senate Republicans, including McConnell and Sens. And also, people are moving from rural places to urban places. You know,thereare two groups of people:There are the people that they are vaccinated. Top executives from five pharmaceutical companies including Pfizer Inc. and Amgen Inc. have given more than $370,000 combined to 2020 political campaigns. Political Campaign Contributions. Buteventually, they convinced me to do it and it was always my idea that for me,it wouldbe kind of a sabbatical. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla was speaking specifically about the omicron variant of COVID-19. Before becoming CEO, he served as COO, overseeing commercial strategy, manufacturing, and global product development. I wonder if you could talk about what it is your parents went through in their childhood and how these origins and how this history has shaped who you are today. We brought it very early. I asked that that would be a number two priority. FREDERICK KEMPE:Youre a Greek-born American. In an interview with CNBC, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla stated that two doses of the vaccine give modest protection, if any, whereas three doses with a booster offer reasonable protection against hospitalisation and mortality but less protection against infection. Soas you can see now, you dont even put a piece of the virus. We focused our research. It is a very revolutionary idea that really was discovered twentyyears ago, and it was studied for all these two decades with the last five years way more intensively, and BioNTech was one of the pioneers in doing these studies. [3], Bourla was awarded the 2022 Genesis Prize for his leadership in the development of the PfizerBioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) similarly has said McConnells rejections of her Medicare negotiation bill (H.R. The following is a full transcript of an interview with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla that aired Sunday, March 13, 2022, on "Face the Nation." CBS News App Jan. 6 Probe And, if anything, I think the fact that wehave botha little bit of Mediterranean heritage created [an] even stronger bond and trustThe fact that we had sucha big trustinone another cascaded down and our teamstrusted each other too, and that was why this thing happened so well. They are very good people. "We know that the two doses of the vaccine offer very limited protection, if any," Dr Bourla said. I would say that[for]infectious diseases,now we haveaverygood proof ofconceptthat this works to attack foreign invaders, viruses, or other microbials. They tried to do the eight years[in]eight months of development. ALBERT BOURLA:Yeah. [22][23][24], From February 2016 to December 2017, he was group president of Pfizer Innovative Health. Masks, jabs, testing kitsare these going to become a more permanent part of our lives,or is there an end to whatweregoing through as we see different variantsrise uphere and there and new need for a response? It is a very big fieldthatis studied very intensively right now. Albert Bourla is ushering in a new era at Pfizer after leading a historic triumph with a COVID-19 vaccine. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla tells @drsanjaygupta, "The vaccine will be available for free to all American citizens." Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) November 9, 2020. The historic development of the world's first mRNA COVID-19 vaccine by Pfizer was the result of the ingenuity and hard work of smart, dedicated scientists and engineers. But youve had to deal with a lot of politics in the last eighteen months. I challenged my team and I[asked]them, are you sure that you want to go with mRNA? Dr. Bourla chronicles how the brilliant, dedicated minds at Pfizer, under the enormous strains of the global pandemic, overcame a series of crises that were compounded by social and political unrest, and reveals the doubts, decisions, obstacles, and failures they encountered. It was not luck. When major global news breaks, the Atlantic Councils experts have you covereddelivering their sharpest rapid insight and forward-looking analysis direct to your inbox. On the table are proposals that would empower the federal government to demand lower prices for certain medicines. By The United Statesplaced orders. [12][18][25][26] In 2016, during his tenure, Innovative Health's revenue increased by 11%. [11], Bourla joined Pfizer in 1993, first serving as a doctor of veterinary medicine and technical director for the company's animal health division in Greece. But they had a fear,and I understand it, and they dont want to take chances. [38][39] However his strategy of pricing during the pandemic has been called "war profiteering" by former CDC chief Tom Frieden. She knew details about thedisease,and she knew details about the technology, and I was very impressed. Why is it youve been able to produce something of quite historic nature whenmany corporate collaborations among CEOsandfounders of companies dont work in quite the same way? But I didnt take into considerationthatmonths after I joined Pfizer,Ifell inlove with the company andfellin love with what they are doing. I think that was very, very important. And if people are given the resources and they are given a very biggoal, if you force them to think big, they will surprise youwith what type of solutions to any single problem they will bring. Photo via John Thys/REUTERS. Weincreased dramaticallythe digital budgetandalso,we reduced the administrative budget in the company. He is also credited with helping the development of Improvac, which eradicates boar taint, and for refocusing Pfizer's vaccine division to focus on Staphylococcus, Clostridioides difficile infection, infant diseases, and the PfizerBioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. Beginning Jan. 1, 2019, Read will become executive chairman and Bourla will become CEO, according to a company statement issued Monday. MENASource offers the latest news from across the Middle East, combined with commentary by contributors, interviews with emerging players, multi-media content, and independent analysis from fellows and staff. To contact the reporter on this story: Alex Ruoff in Washington at aruoff@bgov.com, To contact the editors responsible for this story: Paul Hendrie at phendrie@bgov.com; Robin Meszoly at rmeszoly@bgov.com; Jonathan Nicholson at jnicholson@bgov.com. You can put a lot of pressure, but you should never lose your temper and make people feel unhappy and uncomfortable. What have you learned about geopoliticsandmajor-power politics? They brought me plans that they wantedto use the mRNA technology. They never[made us think]that we must pay back those that did that to us or to our family. Dr. Bourla, welcome to Washington Post Live. I think Pfizer had tremendous success in the1990s andthebeginning of 2000swith science, but then it was a period that was not that productive. And the second was that there was a very deep,instilled sense of purpose. It is the cost to society of people living longer, which means more health care costs, more pensions, more everything. FREDERICK KEMPE:What other doors might this mRNA vaccine openfor you and for science in general? Topping that list were the election committees for both Democrats and Republicans, followed by Republican leaders and Coons. And this is happening because biology, combined with digital technologies, right now is unlocking tremendous, tremendous opportunities for new medical treatment. That was, for me, an important alarm went off. Robert Bradway, the CEO of Amgen, gave $67,308, similarly to committees connected to Cornyn, Gardner, McCarthy, and Tillis. I know President Trump [would have liked] to see it before the elections. You are putting a very small piece, a message, of RNA that will stay a few days in your body and then[disappear]. Sept 24 (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) Chief Executive Officer Albert Bourla said on Saturday he had tested positive for COVID-19. from 1999 to present. [I told] them thatif thats going to be successful, that will be notjustthe first COVID-19vaccine, that will be the first vaccine ever with mRNA. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian "Dr Bourla indicated that they had limited flexibility. ALBERT BOURLA:Oh. The job was in Athens,so to join Pfizer I did the first relocation, which I found very difficult to do,from Thessaloniki to Athens. Then the second thing that we neededto have it is we need to have enough vaccines for all. Bourla said that two vaccine doses offer very limited protection, if any, against the omicron variant. He said Pfizer. [3], He held multiple executive roles at Zoetis (then known as Animal Health) and other divisions of Pfizer. What do you feel that youve learned through this very, very intensive period, which by the way, is still ongoing? [5][16] Bourla is a board member of Catalyst,[43] a global nonprofit organization promoting the advancement of women, the Partnership for New York City,[44][45] and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), a trade association representing companies in the pharmaceutical industry in the United States. The only thing that stands between the new way of life and the current way of life, frankly, isthehesitancyto get vaccinated,thepeople thatareafraid togetthe vaccines,and they createissuesnot onlyforthem. He opposes government interference in pharmaceutical pricing, which he argues would hamper spending on development of new drugs. We realized that Mrs. Bourla was a subscriber to Scarsdale 10583 and asked her to discuss her life since the news broke that the Pfizer vaccine was effective. The haul by political action and campaign committees affiliated with McConnell (R-Ky.) came after a late-year surge in giving. [3][8] Another aims to overhaul Medicare to reduce what seniors pay. Small and, lets say, low-and middle-income countries, they werent placing orders. L INCROYABLE HISTOIRE DE LA FAMILLE JUIVE DU PDG DE PFIZER ALBERT BOURLA, par Alain Chouffan POURQUOI ISRAEL A T LE PREMIER PAYS AU MONDE RECEVOIR LE VACCIN - RETOUR HISTORIQUE Soixante mille Juifs sont rests Thessalonique, en Grce, la veille du dclenchement de la Seconde Guerre mondiale. [37] He took the risk of producing the PfizerBioNTech COVID-19 vaccine before approval from the Food and Drug Administration so that it would be ready to ship immediately upon approval. ALBERT BOURLA:Well, I can tell you that President von der Leyen [is] one of the most knowledgeable leaders.