Inside Operation Warp Speed

<p>Operation Warp Speed has in some ways lived up to its name: The U.S. government has awarded almost $11 billion to seven different companies to develop vaccines, three of which — Moderna, AstraZeneca and Pfizer — are in late-stage trials.</p><p>Things are going according to the most aggressive schedule.</p><p>However, accelerating the development process has increased the likelihood of cronyism and undue political influence.</p><p>Today, we ask whether the White House’s defiance of the timelines that have long governed the development of vaccines is working.</p><p>Guest: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/katie-thomas" target="_blank">Katie Thomas</a>, a reporter at The New York Times who covers the health care sector, with a focus on the drug industry.</p><p>For more information on today’s episode, visit <a href="http://nytimes.com/thedaily?smid=pc-thedaily" target="_blank">nytimes.com/thedaily </a></p><p>Background reading: </p><ul><li>There is a lot of optimism surrounding the coronavirus vaccine and its potential to usher in a return to normality in the near future — but doctors warn that<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/22/well/live/covid-vaccine.html?searchResultPosition=8" target="_blank"> those expectations ought to be tempered</a>.</li><li>With thousands dying, economic tumult and a looming election, the U.S. government is eager to start vaccinating as soon as possible. Experts worry that the Trump administration will push the Food and Drug Administration to<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/02/us/politics/coronavirus-vaccine.html" target="_blank"> overlook insufficient data</a>.</li><li>The vaccine effort has spelled<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/25/business/coronavirus-vaccine-profits-vaxart.html?searchResultPosition=5" target="_blank"> big profits for corporate insiders</a>.</li></ul>