All right.
Ultimately, we came up with three platforms. There are about five or six that are out there being explored: the adenovirus vector, the protein, the virus-like particle and the mRNA.
What we did was look at each stage that you would consider in clinical development. So, in testing in animals, was an immune response elicited? Did the animals survive? Were they protected when you challenged them? Then you look at the purity of the product, then the ability to manufacture. How close were they to testing in humans? You have to be able to test in humans to be able to see if it even produces an immune response in humans.
Then they go through phase one, two, three testing, ramping up to this phase three trial. This is the first time in history.... For the Moderna vaccine, the phase three trials started in July; that was absolutely marvellous. They were so far ahead of any other candidate, with the mRNA and their ability to ramp up that. That gave them evidence so that we could say they would likely be a successful candidate.
Then there's all the manufacturing expertise, which Mark has spoken of.