Topline
Pfizer said on Monday it will spend $120 million to boost production of its Covid-19 antiviral treatment Paxlovid, as the White House continues its efforts to increase access to the first pill authorized by the Food and Drug Administration to treat the coronavirus.
Tablets of the drug Paxlovid are shown.
Key Facts
Pfizer will create 250 new jobs in Kalamazoo, Michigan—at its largest plant—to expand production of Paxlovid’s pharmaceutical ingredients, the company said.
Pfizer aims to produce 120 million courses of the drug—which the FDA has authorized for emergency use for high-risk patients—this year, Mike McDermott, the company’s chief global supply officer, told the Detroit Free Press.
The news comes two weeks after the White House announced it had doubled the number of sites where Paxlovid is available nationally over the past two months as it aims to increase availability of the drug.
Big Number
7 million. That’s how many Paxlovid treatment courses Pfizer has produced to date, 12 million of which it has shipped to 37 countries, the company said. The number of people filling Paxlovid prescriptions in the United States jumped from 27,000 to 182,000 over the past two months, the White House said two weeks ago.
Tangent
A growing number of people have reported Covid “rebound infections”—testing positive for the coronavirus after initially clearing the infection with a five-day course of Paxlovid. A paper published last week that has yet to be peer-reviewed found people experiencing a rebound Covid-19 infection after taking Paxlovid can be contagious during the rebound infection, even while asymptomatic. The research led the Centers for Disease Control to issue new guidance on the drug, advising people to isolate for five days if they experience a rebound case. It’s unclear how often the rebound infections are occurring and why, but the infections appear to be mild.
Key Background
Pfizer’s antiviral drug—which is nearly 90% effective at preventing hospitalizations from Covid—has been viewed by some scientists as a “game-changer” in the fight against Covid. The pill was the first efficacious antiviral oral treatment approved by the FDA last December for anyone 12 years and older who is at a higher risk for developing severe Covid. White House officials in recent months have been pushing to improve access to the drug. In March, the Biden Administration announced “test-to-treat” sites across the country where people can get tested and receive Covid treatments if they are positive for the coronavirus, but some experts say the program has not significantly sped up access to the drug, as sites are not always within reach and clear information about the program is not readily available. Pharmacists themselves are unable to prescribe the medication, which would allow patients to secure the medication more quickly, though the FDA is “looking” at that option and “thinking about it,” Ashish K. Jha, the White House Covid-19 response coordinator, told the New York Times.
Further Reading
Pfizer adds 250 new jobs to Kalamazoo plant, making it only US site to make Paxlovid ingredients (Detroit Free Press)
Rebound Covid Infections: Some Contagious Even After Taking Antiviral Paxlovid, Paper Suggests (Forbes)
White House Pushes to Get Paxlovid Pills in More Covid Patients’ Hands (New York Times)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/madelinehalpert/2022/06/06/pfizer-to-spend-120-million-to-boost-paxlovid-production/