Pharma Exec Worried About Manufacturing Capacity For Virus Treatment, Vaccine

The United States has a worrisome limited capacity to manufacture potential COVID-19 treatments or vaccines, the CEO of pharmaceutical company Regeneron said Sunday.

In an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Leonard Schleifer said two things in the health care infrastructure must be in place for when a vaccine or treatment becomes available.

“Our distribution capabilities work,” he said of one aspect. “I'm not worried about that. Our manufacturing capacity, on the other hand...I think our capacity is limited.”

“If there's something we have to learn from this pandemic so that when COVID-21 or 25 or 32 comes along, we need a little bit more capacity already in place so that we can get it to everybody,” he added.

But Schleifer said he was optimistic about the nation finally getting to a treatment and prevention of the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

“I think we’ll get something, the question is when,” he said.  

Related Stories:

• COVID-19 Treatments Will Be Developed Before Vaccine To Eradicate Virus Available
• Pope Says Virus Vaccine Must Be Shared Worldwide