A healthier world, a world more in solidarity with less fortunate countries. The goal of Pfizer’s new deal will see the company ship the drugs first to Ghana, Malawi, Rwanda, Senegal and Uganda by the end of this year, CEO Albert Bourla said in a speech at the World Economic Forum. of Davos. The agreement calls for approximately 23 drugs to be shipped, at non-profit prices, to 45 low-income countries. The total cost, for Pfizer, should be offset by the huge profits made during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Vaccines, medicines for cancer, heart disease and autoimmune diseases, which the company says are a large part of the patent-protected portfolio it sells without a government partner, will be sent to developing countries. First, to improve global health conditions. Second, to avoid the emergence of new pandemics. That’s why Pfizer will make all of its proprietary medicines, including the Covid-19 Paxlovid treatment and the breast cancer drug Ibrance, available at a non-profit price.
The target of the initiative are all nations that do not have good access to innovative treatments. According to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, it could take an additional four to seven years for new treatments to become available in low-income countries if they become available. Also on the list was the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Comirnaty with BioNTech. Pfizer CEO Bourla said that all medicines made available should be useful. “But clearly the antiviral (Paxlovid, ed) will be a big problem for them – if they need it they can get it immediately,” she said. When Pfizer launches new drugs and vaccines, they will also be included in the drug portfolio at a non-profit price, she said. The 27 low-income and 18 low-income countries included in what Pfizer calls “An Accord for a Healthier World” cover most of Africa and much of Southeast Asia.
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