The statement does not actually commit these companies to completing the entire Phase III trials regardless of outcome. The relevant paragraph from this article

The statement does not actually commit these companies to completing the entire Phase III trials regardless of outcome. The relevant paragraph from this article (with quote) is: > In a statement, the companies pledged to “make the safety and well-being of vaccinated individuals our top priority.” The vaccine developers said they would continue to impose high ethical and scientific standards on the vaccine-testing process, and apply for government authorizations only “after demonstrating safety and efficacy through a Phase 3 clinical study.” "Through" in that last quote is being taken to mean "at the completion of". But it can also mean "through the use of." I disagree with the headline that Stat put on their article. To me it seems clear that the commitment from these companies is to the quality of the process, not a particular rigid timetable. Edit - here is the full statement for those who want to read it. https://investors.modernatx.com/news-releases/news-release-details/biopharma-leaders-unite-stand-science https://investors.modernatx.com/news-releases/news-release-d...