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In a significant development that raised eyebrows, Pfizer announced its successful COVID-19 vaccine trials mere days after Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election. The timing prompted immediate scrutiny from then-President Donald Trump, who suggested the pharmaceutical giant deliberately withheld the results until after the electoral process.

Trump linked the delayed announcement to his previous executive order from September 2020, which aimed to reduce prescription drug costs for Medicare recipients by aligning them with international prices. He emphasized that Pfizer’s CEO Albert Bourla had previously indicated trial results would be available by October’s end.

The matter has recently gained renewed attention as Manhattan federal prosecutors investigate claims surrounding former Pfizer scientist Phil Dormitzer. According to The Wall Street Journal, Dormitzer allegedly told executives at his new employer, GSK, that Pfizer intentionally postponed the vaccine announcement until after the election concluded.

However, Dormitzer has challenged this interpretation of his statements. “My Pfizer colleagues and I did everything we could to get the FDA’s Emergency Use Authorization at the very first possible moment,” he stated. “Any other interpretation of my comments about the pace of the vaccine’s development would be incorrect.”

The investigation has already involved interviews with multiple individuals, including a GSK executive who documented conversations with Dormitzer. Prosecutors plan to question at least one more person, though Pfizer representatives haven’t yet been interviewed.

Pfizer maintains that their announcement timing was governed solely by scientific protocols and FDA guidelines. “Pfizer remains ready, willing, and able to explain why any allegation of impropriety is utter nonsense,” the company declared in their statement.

The Journal reported that an independent panel of experts, known as a data-safety monitoring committee, conducted the vaccine’s effectiveness review. The moment when Pfizer executives received the results from senior scientists on November 8 was captured on film and broadcast.

As the Department of Justice examines these conflicting accounts regarding Pfizer’s announcement timing, questions persist about whether the pharmaceutical company’s actions may have influenced the 2020 election outcome – potentially validating Trump’s initial concerns.