How the Global COVID-19 Pandemic Brought Drug and Vaccine Development into the Public Mainstream

Witek, Theodore J.

Pharmaceutical development was at the forefront of efforts to prevent infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus as well as to treat its often-devastating effects. Drug development, and its multifaceted and multi-disciplined activity toward effective vaccines and drugs, became part of everyday news. I review several key areas of vaccine and drug development that were brought into the public mainstream over the evolution of the pandemic. These include the unprecedented speed of vaccine discovery and development, issues uncovered from early clinical studies, and regulatory concepts that were highlighted throughout the development process. Among these was the importance of pharmacovigilance as each new agent was rapidly deployed to a mostly eager public. Critical challenges around production, packaging, and procurement of product for patient use were often centre stage. Finally, the ever-important need to transition not only from scientific concept to vaccine and drug, but from their authorized and approved use to their implementation in health systems to insure the intended effects both in individuals and populations.