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-d...