Pfizer: the impact of its vaccine on business and its plans in the fight against COVID-19 | ECONOMY

The development of the COVID-19 vaccine has been one of the most challenging medical innovations in Pfizer’s more than 170-year history. Between 2020 and 2021, the pharmaceutical company’s total profits grew by 92% and global turnover reached US$81.3 billion. This growth allowed investments in research and development to increase from US$8.9 billion in 2020 to US$10.5 billion last year. “Clinical research brings solutions. Thanks to the technology that we had previously studied, we were able to develop the vaccine in record time”says Christopher Ariyan, country manager of Pfizer’s Andean Cluster.

Worldwide, Pfizer invests 15% of its income in research and development. In the Andean cluster (Peru, Chile, Ecuador and Bolivia) it has carried out eight clinical studies with 29 institutions in the 2021-2022 period. In Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and Colombia, research has been carried out for its antiviral treatment against COVID-19. In total, this year 419 clinical studies are planned in different countries of the region.

Until mid-March, Pfizer-BioNTech has already delivered more than 1.3 billion doses of the vaccine in 106 low- and middle-income countries. The commitment is to supply 2,000 million between 2021 and 2022. In the American continent, 33 nations have benefited. In Peru, more than 30 million doses have been administered. “Our main challenge is to continue working collaboratively with the governments of Latin America and the world, and support their immunization plans”resalta Ariyan.

Antiviral and more vaccines?

Pfizer seeks to make its oral pill against COVID-19 available worldwide. The antiviral treatment was approved for emergency use in December last year by the FDA and is now available in several countries. The medication reduces the risk of hospitalization or death by 89% (within three days of onset of symptoms) and 88% (within five days of the first sign of infection), compared with placebo given to patients of high risk enrolled in the study.

Through an agreement with the Medicines Patent Pool, Pfizer aims to make it easier for the organization to produce and distribute the investigational antiviral, pending regulatory approval. This will be possible through the granting of sub-licenses to manufacturers of qualified generics. “Pfizer will not receive royalties on sales in low-income countries and will abolish royalties in all nations covered by the agreement as long as the World Health Organization continues to classify COVID-19 as a public health emergency of international concern.adelanta Ariyan.

In addition, Pfizer has a supply agreement with Unicef ​​for four million treatments of the antiviral pill. These will be delivered, starting in April this year, to 95 low- and middle-income countries, which represent approximately 53% of the world’s population.

Pfizer and BioNTech have also just applied to the FDA for emergency use authorization for a fourth dose for adults age 65 and older who have already received a booster of any of the vaccines approved. This is because this additional mRNA increases immunogenicity and reduces the rates of confirmed infections and severe disease.

Planes

Pfizer It has also committed to developing 25 innovative treatments by 2025, of which 18 will be in the areas of oncology, inflammation, internal medicine, rare diseases, vaccines and antivirals.

In Peru, for example, this year the pharmaceutical company will reinforce its portfolio for the first-line treatment of adult patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. In addition, it will continue to enrich its Cuidarnos Juntos digital platform for the Andean cluster with information on different pathologies. It currently has more than 65 articles that, as of February, exceeded 340,433 visits.

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