The Pandemic Has Made Vaccine and Drug Developments Much More Efficient

In order to contain the corona pandemic, scientists and researchers redoubled their efforts in finding treatments as quickly as possible, and today, other diseases and conditions are profiting from this efficiency, changing the future of medicine and science.

“Covid has stimulated the rapid translation of previous knowledge into practice,” says Deenan Pillay, Independent Sage member and University College of London professor of virology. “Developing science takes many years and needs an opportunity to be implemented. Covid has provided an easier regulatory environment, with fast-tracked trials, so vaccine developments, for example, have been really quick.” 

Before COVID-19, it would take decades to develop vaccines and drugs through all the stages. The urgency brought by the pandemic – and the billions invested in public and private money – reduced the waiting time to 12 months. Vaccines are currently developed to treat Dengue, Zika, and Ebola. Research in hi-tech vaccines is steadily growing, and studies related to COVID-19 are helping to better understand conditions such as blood clotting and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, among several others.