Sir Andrew Witty, former chief executive of GlaxoSmithKline, has been appointed to lead the World Health Organization's global COVID-19 vaccine development initiative. Witty will take a leave of absence from his current position at UnitedHealth's Optum health services business, with plans to return by year's end.
The appointment comes at a pivotal moment in the global race for a COVID-19 vaccine, with experts projecting a 12-18 month timeline for widespread availability, though some candidates may receive emergency-use authorization within 3-6 months for healthcare workers.
Current Vaccine Development Landscape
The WHO has identified more than 70 vaccine candidates in development, with three leading contenders already in clinical trials. China's CanSino Biologics, in collaboration with the Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, has advanced furthest, initiating phase 2 trials of their adenovirus-based Ad5-nCoV vaccine in Wuhan with 500 volunteers. Their phase 1 trial, completed in March with 108 participants, demonstrated favorable safety and tolerability profiles.
US-based Moderna's mRNA-1273 vaccine is progressing steadily, with the National Institutes of Health expanding enrollment for the high-dose arm of their ongoing phase 1 study. Meanwhile, Inovio Pharmaceuticals has begun phase 1 testing of their DNA-based INO-4800 vaccine in 40 healthy volunteers.
Emerging Candidates and Industry Collaboration
Several promising candidates are approaching clinical testing phases. Oxford University researchers are prepared to begin human trials next week following successful animal studies. The Pfizer-BioNTech collaboration expects to initiate clinical trials before April ends.
Major pharmaceutical companies Johnson & Johnson and the Sanofi-GlaxoSmithKline partnership are taking a more measured approach, with human studies planned for the latter half of 2020. These companies are simultaneously scaling up manufacturing capabilities to ensure pandemic-level production capacity.
Leadership Transition and Funding Challenges
Witty's appointment coincides with significant changes in WHO's funding structure, following the US government's decision to withdraw support. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has stepped in with a $150 million commitment to partially offset the approximately $400 million funding gap.
"I am deeply honoured to help lead this mission to seek a COVID-19 vaccine," Witty stated, expressing confidence in Optum's continued operations during his absence. "I look forward to rejoining them on the other side of this crisis to continue helping make the health system work better for everyone."
In his new role, Witty will coordinate the diverse array of vaccine development projects, focusing on expediting the delivery of successful vaccines to healthcare workers and the general public. His extensive pharmaceutical industry experience and global health expertise position him well to navigate the complex challenges ahead in this unprecedented vaccine development effort.
