This antiviral treatment, whose health authorities still need to authorize use, has demonstrated 89% effectiveness against hospitalizations and deaths in clinical trials, when taken within three days of the appearance of Symptoms.
Le Monde with AFP
A very expected antiviral treatment to deal with the pandemic. The US Government commissioned the Pfizer 10 million treatment of its Anti-Covid pill for $ 5.29 billion (4.66 billion euros), provided that the drug receives the green light from the health authorities, according to News Releases Thursday, November 18th. Deliveries will begin by the end of the year and 2022.
Antivirals act by reducing the ability of a virus to replicate, thus braking the disease. They represent a key complement to vaccines to protect COVID-19. The pharmaceutical company, which already markets a virus vaccine in collaboration with Biontech, has tabled at the beginning of the week with the US Medicines Agency (FDA) a request for emergency authorization for this treatment that can easily be taken At home in the first days after the appearance of symptoms in case of infection.
The treatment, which will be marketed under the name Paxlovid, has demonstrated 89% effectiveness against hospitalizations and deaths in clinical trials, when taken within three days of the appearance of symptoms. These tests were conducted by the company on people with a high risk of developing a serious case of COVID-19.
“A life buoy”
“Getting vaccinated remains the most important action that can be taken to protect themselves and protect others and put an end to this pandemic,” said US Health Minister Xavier Becerra in a statement . “But for people who fall ill and who risk serious consequences, have pills they can take to avoid going to the hospital could be a life buoy,” he added.
“The price paid by the US government reflects the high volume of purchased treatments”, points out Pfizer in its own communiqué indicating discussions with other states. The group already benefits from sales of its VVID vaccine, which allowed it to double its turnover in the third quarter at $ 24.1 billion (€ 21.24 billion), and to multiply its Net profit by five over the period, at $ 8.15 billion (7.18 billion euros).
The American Merck laboratory has also developed antiviral treatment, Molnupiravir, authorized early November in a first country, the United Kingdom. An FDA committee must meet on 30 November to decide on the request for authorization of Merck treatment in the United States. Washington has already bought 3.1 million treatments in Merck. France also commissioned 50,000.
Pfizer has accepted Tuesday to pass a voluntary licensing agreement with the “medicine patent community” of Medicines Patent Pool (MPP), created by UNITAID, which must allow generic manufacturers to produce the drug for the drug. Provide it to 95 countries with average or lower income representing about 53% of the world’s population. Merck has concluded a similar pact with the MPP for its own anti-oral anti-covid. At Wall Street, the Pfizer action appreciated by 0.71% in the electronic exchanges previous the opening of the stock market.