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Oxford University breakthrough on global COVID-19 vaccine

ox.ac.uk

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Re: Oxford University breakthrough on global COVID-19 vaccine

#161

Post by singingfish »

starfallg wrote: post #122
singingfish wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

the mRNA style viruses will probably decrease in cost exponentially the same way that DNA sequencing and computer technology have dropped in price.

However, mRNA vaccines require low temperature storage and are in general harder to handle. This translates to additional cost in production, throughout the logistics chain and delivery.

I think it's likely that they'll need to be distributed frozen, but there's a lot that can be done researching preservatives. The the moderna vaccine is higher temperature than the pfveizer one for this reason.

Re: Oxford University breakthrough on global COVID-19 vaccine

#163

Post by markvdb »

yread wrote: post #116
markvdb wrote: post #81

Why do they sabotaged their own messaging by using the 70% number? Reading further, it looks like the vaccine is 90% efficient. Also, "There were no hospitalised or severe cases in anyone who received the vaccine". Can we infer anything from that statement? They seem to be suggesting that the infection might be less serious in the vaccinated population...

Note that only n=2,741 people received the 90% efficient dosing. That's 10+ times less than the mRNA vaccines so the confidence intervals on that number will be a lot wider

Thank you for that answer. Much appreciated.

Re: Oxford University breakthrough on global COVID-19 vaccine

#164

Post by singingfish »

bawolff wrote: post #65
singingfish wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

1. Smallpox vaccine is 100% effective 2. 90% is high. 3. Probably not. Immune systems are weird and incredibly complicated (think even more complicated than the brain).

I dont think its true that smallpox is 100% effective

Just to nit-pick and split semantic hairs, but it was certainly the vaccine (and ease of disease identification) that lead to smallpoxes eradication. In that sense the vaccine was 100% effective.

Re: Oxford University breakthrough on global COVID-19 vaccine

#165

Post by xiphias2 »

ulfw wrote: post #146
dvfjsdhgfv wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If they actually get to 90% or more, why would anyone bother with the more expensive and cumbersome vaccines? Except that the EU already signed a deal to buy the vaccines from AstraZeneca, Sanofi and Johnson & Johnson.

Because 95% efficacy is twice as good as 90%. And some people are willing to pay the $30 it costs to be 5% likelihood to have a non-functioning vaccine vs. a 10% likelihood the vaccine you just got won't work on you.

Also so far the mRNA vaccines look to have less side effects. AstraZeneca is not doing charity, it's cheaper because they have the inferior vaccine.

Re: Oxford University breakthrough on global COVID-19 vaccine

#166

Post by oblio »

erikstarck wrote: post #130
bleepblorp wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

Will you then also pay those who put huge effort and expense in to research that was perhaps necessary but didn't lead anywhere?

Have these companies provide a detailed list of expenses for researching and developing this vaccine, review that, pay it as a one time cost and THEN vacate the patent.

They then get to recover their R&D expenses and make a smaller but probably decent profit from its production.

Re: Oxford University breakthrough on global COVID-19 vaccine

#167

Post by sjwright »

_Wintermute wrote: post #106
dragontamer wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

-80C for Pfizer, and below 0 for the other one (I forget exactly). -80C is really close to dry-ice temperatures. So I wonder if its actually -80C or if the researchers were just saying "Dry Ice".

-80C is just a pretty standard cold storage temperature in science. I'd imagine they tested stability at 4C, -20C and liquid nitrogen as well.

The notion of distributing a billion copies of a vaccine at -80°C to every corner of the planet seems rather resource intensive.

Re: Oxford University breakthrough on global COVID-19 vaccine

#168

Post by evandijk70 »

alephu5 wrote: post #156
postingawayonhn wrote: post #129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't see why they shouldn't be able to make a fair profit.

When things go the other way, society doesn't let them make a fair loss.

There are currently 54 vaccines being tested on humans. Getting the necessary data to obtain approval for human testing requires a lot of funding. Testing on humans requires a lot of funding. In the end, maybe 4 vaccines will be used. Do you think the companies that produced and tested the ~50 vaccines that will not be used will get their investment back?

Re: Oxford University breakthrough on global COVID-19 vaccine

#169

Post by tcptomato »

erikstarck wrote: post #130
bleepblorp wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

Will you then also pay those who put huge effort and expense in to research that was perhaps necessary but didn't lead anywhere?

the expenses paid by governments you mean?

Re: Oxford University breakthrough on global COVID-19 vaccine

#170

Post by pizza234 »

postingawayonhn wrote: post #129
bleepblorp wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

I don't see why they shouldn't be able to make a fair profit.

Pharmaceutical corporations are not exactly well known to seek "fair" profits.

Practically speaking, I suppose a hypothetical scenario could be that the:

- the companies are granted patents

- the vaccine lasts for a limited amount of time

- before each patent expiry they companies make minor modifications (say, storage temperature requirement decreased by half a degree)

- the company make "unfair" profits by extending the oligopoly for a very long amount of time

I'm not stating that this will happen, but on the other hand, I find this plausible.

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