'Pandemic speed': Managing the risks of vaccine development

In this March 16, 2020, file photo, a patient receives a shot in the first-stage safety study clinical trial of a potential vaccine for COVID-19 at the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)

As the quest for a COVID-19 vaccine intensifies, companies at the forefront of research need to grapple with complex liability issues at all stages of the work, from the science of creating a safe and effective vaccine to the logistics of distribution and the management of risk.

Our ALM colleagues at Law.com International’s Europe desk recently interviewed Karen Linehan, executive vice president of legal affairs and general counsel of Sanofi, the French-based pharmaceutical giant, to discuss how her team gets involved in her company’s efforts to bring a COVID-19 vaccine to market.