[ExI] pfizer on directed evolution

[spike at rainier66.com]

Pfizer says they aren't doing it.  They haven't made any statement regarding
any employee named Jordan Tristan Walker, so I would guess the video
freak-out guy was likely a phony, or perhaps a lower-level employee, or a
contractor or something.  He looked pretty young to be a director of
anything.  In any case, here's Pfizer's response:

 

New York, N.Y., January 27, 2023 - Allegations have recently been made
related to gain of function and directed evolution research at Pfizer and
the company would like to set the record straight.

In the ongoing development of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, Pfizer
has not conducted gain of function or directed evolution research. Working
with collaborators, we have conducted research where the original SARS-CoV-2
virus has been used to express the spike protein from new variants of
concern. This work is undertaken once a new variant of concern has been
identified by public health authorities. This research provides a way for us
to rapidly assess the ability of an existing vaccine to induce antibodies
that neutralize a newly identified variant of concern. We then make this
data available through peer reviewed scientific journals and use it as one
of the steps to determine whether a vaccine update is required.

In addition, to meet U.S. and global regulatory requirements for our oral
treatment, PAXLOVIDT, Pfizer undertakes in vitro work (e.g., in a laboratory
culture dish) to identify potential resistance mutations to nirmatrelvir,
one of PAXLOVID's two components. With a naturally evolving virus, it is
important to routinely assess the activity of an antiviral. Most of this
work is conducted using computer simulations or mutations of the main
protease-a non-infectious part of the virus. In a limited number of cases
when a full virus does not contain any known gain of function mutations,
such virus may be engineered to enable the assessment of antiviral activity
in cells. In addition, in vitro resistance selection experiments are
undertaken in cells incubated with SARS-CoV-2 and nirmatrelvir in our secure
Biosafety level 3 (BSL3) laboratory to assess whether the main protease can
mutate to yield resistant strains of the virus. It is important to note that
these studies are required by U.S. and global regulators for all antiviral
products and are carried out by many companies and academic institutions in
the U.S. and around the world.

Fact-based information rooted in sound science is vitally important to
overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic and Pfizer remains committed to
transparency and helping alleviate the devastating burden of this disease.

 

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