Pfizer on Tuesday stated prescriptions for its oral antiviral to deal with Covid-19 have elevated tenfold within the U.S. since late February, as extra pharmacies and different areas obtain provide.
CEO Albert Bourla, in an earnings call Tuesday morning, stated practically 80,000 sufferers have been handled with Paxlovid within the U.S. the week ending April 22, up from about 8,000 sufferers in late February. Greater than 33,000 websites within the U.S. now have provide of Paxlovid, Bourla stated, a fourfold enhance over February.
Shares of Pfizer have been up over 1% in Tuesday afternoon buying and selling.
Paxlovid provide was constrained when the antiviral first rolled out over the winter, however Pfizer is ramping up manufacturing with 6 million programs produced via the top of March, based on Bourla. Pfizer is on monitor to fabricate 30 million programs within the first half of 2022 and 120 million by the top of the yr, Bourla stated.
Pfizer on Tuesday reported $1.5 billion in Paxlovid gross sales for the primary quarter and maintained its steering of $22 billion in gross sales for 2022. Angela Hwang, Pfizer’s head of biopharmaceuticals, informed analysts Tuesday that demand for the antiviral will enhance as nations reorder doses and decrease the eligibility age.
Covid transmission will enhance as governments ease public well being restrictions, and Paxlovid will play an vital function in treating individuals who get contaminated, Hwang stated. Pfizer would not have any stock available as a result of each dose manufactured will get shipped, she stated.
The U.S. has ordered a complete of 20 million Paxlovid programs, with the supply of the primary 10 million programs to be accomplished in June and achievement of the second 10 million scheduled for September, according to the Biden administration. Sufferers within the U.S. had used greater than 500,000 Paxlovid programs as of late April, a senior administration official informed reporters final month.
The White Home is ramping up distribution of Paxlovid as a key element of its technique to combat Covid. The Well being and Human Companies Division goals to carry the antiviral to 40,000 areas throughout the nation. The U.S. has arrange no less than 2,200 websites the place folks can obtain Paxlovid as quickly as they take a look at optimistic for the virus, together with pharmacies, neighborhood well being facilities and long-term care services.
The Meals and Drug Administration licensed Paxlovid in December for adults and youngsters ages 12 and older who’re contaminated with Covid and prone to extreme sickness from the virus. The FDA licensed Merck’s molnupiravir shortly after, however stated it ought to solely be used for adults ages 18 and over who haven’t got entry to Paxlovid or different Covid remedies.
Paxlovid proved more practical and had a greater security profile than molnupiravir in medical trials. Pfizer’s antiviral decreased the danger of hospitalization or dying by 90% in adults who had Covid and have been prone to creating extreme sickness. Molnupiravir decreased the danger of hospitalization and dying by 30% in medical trials amongst Covid sufferers prone to extreme sickness.
Paxlovid now has a 90% market share in comparison with Merck’s molnupiravir within the U.S. retail pharmacy, long-term care and mail order markets, Bourla stated. The antiviral is now licensed in additional than 60 nations, and Pfizer is in discussions to carry the therapy to extra markets, he stated.
Sufferers prescribed Paxlovid take a 3 pill course twice every day for 5 days. The course contains two nirmatrelvir drugs developed by Pfizer, and one pill of ritonavir, a broadly used HIV drug. Nirmatrelvir inhibits an enzyme the Covid virus makes use of to breed, and ritonavir slows the affected person’s metabolism so the treatment stays lively within the physique for an extended interval.
Whereas Paxlovid is efficient at stopping hospitalization and dying in individuals who have already got Covid, it failed to stop an infection from the virus in medical trial outcomes printed Friday.
