Ann: Phase 2/3 Trial in COVID-19 ARDS Begins Enrollment, page-80

Nothing is ever guaranteed

Even "publicly adverting to fill a job placement, but already offered the job to the preferred candidate", you still need to go through a procurement process and possibly an objection process as well

But, SI would have had good discussions with FDA about the possible process and approval pathways.
He's conservative, so would have looked at all the ramifications - from a failed trial to pricing...
And yet Mesoblast decided to proceed with the Covid-19 - why is that?

My thinking:

• Confidence in the Rem-L product, via the data that we already have
• Understanding of the pharmacoeconomics and what reimbursement we are going to get
• Accept the risks, but the transformational publicity associated with Covid-19, is just too hard to let pass
• +++

SI & Mesoblast would have weighted all this up and said - let's do it!
... and here we are