On March 2, 2020, President Trump met with pharmaceutical executives at the White House “to discuss how the federal government can accelerate the development of vaccines and therapeutic treatments for the coronavirus.” Several members of The White House Coronavirus Task Force led by Vice President Mike Pence were also in attendance.
HHS Secretary Alex Azar stated
We’re here working with the pharmaceutical company leaders on three key issues: how do we speed vaccines, how do we speed therapeutics, and what are the supply chain challenges that we may be facing for pharmaceutical products here in the United States.
President Trump said:
…we’re working very hard to expedite the longer process of developing a vaccine…It’s likely that therapies will be available before a vaccine is actually ready, and we’ll seek to bring all effective treatments to market as soon as possible.
Since the start of the outbreak, my administration has taken the most aggressive action in history to protect our citizens, including closing our borders very early — a lot earlier than people wanted us to do.
So those are unheard of speeds…we have to be very safe.
Trump spoke about bringing drug manufacturing back to America…”which started about a year ago.”
VP Mike Pence addressed Dr. Deborah Birx as “one of the leading experts in infectious diseases in the world.” Dr Birx take away from the meeting …”there’s technology that can be used as an immediate bridge“, therapeutics and monoclonals. “while we work on the vaccines.”
Birx also said: “I think just to assure the American people that we have tried using our innovators to actually screen all of the current drugs for potential activity against this virus would be key.”
At this meeting Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel, told Trump they were already formulating Phase II vaccine, and that the “phase two would take a few months before going to phase three.”
“And one thing I want to add, we keep talking about “for America,” but really, we’re looking at — for a cure for the whole world because this is a world cure, not just for the United States. We want to take care of the United States. But whatever we do is going to inure to the benefit of the world.” said President Trump
The pharmaceutical heads and government health agency representatives sold President Trump on the potential for Warp Speed vaccines:
I came into the room not expecting to hear quite what I’ve heard, but a lot of work has already been done.