US giant Merck walks out of Covid vaccine race

American multinational pharmaceutical company Merck is giving up on two potential coronavirus vaccines after early trial data showed poor results. Merck said patients were able to tolerate its potential vaccine, however, they generated an inferior immune system response compared to other existing vaccines. Merck was late to join the race to develop a vaccine to protect against the coronavirus, unlike rivals Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. Merck said it would focus on coronavirus research and manufacture two investigational medicine for the virus.