Nine leading American and European drug-makers promised to follow scientific standards in the race to develop an effective coronavirus vaccine. The companies, including Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline and AstraZeneca, made the promise after concerns were raised that safety standards might decline in the attempt to find a vaccine. The companies said in a statement they would “uphold the integrity of the scientific process.” Other companies that signed the agreement included Johnson & Johnson, Merck & Co, Moderna, Novavax , Sanofi and BioNTech. Ugur Sahin is head of BioNTech in Germany. He said, “We want it to be known that also in the current situation we are not willing to compromise safety and efficacy.”