Pfizer Chief Executive Albert Bourla has pulled out of an appointment to testify before the European Parliament's exclusive committee on COVID-19, at which he was anticipated to face difficult questions on how secretive vaccine deals have been struck.
The choice follows an audit record into the EU's vaccine procurement strategy posted formerly in the month that raised new questions about contact between Bourla and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that preceded a multibillion-euro vaccine contract.
The head of the U.S. pharmaceutical giant, the largest dealer of COVID-19 vaccines to the EU, was scheduled to show up before the panel on October 10. The committee is assembly with key officials concerned in the EU's vaccine procurement procedure to draw lessons on how to reply to future pandemics. Other pharmaceutical executives have addressed the committee, inclusive of the CEO of Moderna and senior officials from AstraZeneca and Sanofi.
The committee's chair, Belgian MEP Kathleen Van Brempt, told POLITICO she "deeply regrets" the decision taken by Pfizer.After a visit to BioNTech's headquarters last week, Van Brempt had said in a written statement that she looked forward to discussions "with other CEOs" including "Mr. Albert Bourla, the CEO of Pfizer" on October 10. -Politico.
