Pfizer to Sell 10Mln Doses of Anti-Viral COVID-19 Treatment to US Government for $5.29Bln

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The US government has agreed to purchase 10 million doses of an oral anti-viral medication that targets the virus responsible for COVID-19, provided the medication receives approval by the Food and Drug Administration, Pfizer said on Thursday.

"Under the terms of the agreement, the U.S. government will acquire 10 million treatment courses to be delivered by Pfizer beginning later this year and concluding in 2022. Pfizer will receive $5.29 billion from the U.S. government, pending and contingent upon regulatory authorization," Pfizer said in a press release.

The drug Paxlovid developed by Pfizer is a "3CL protease inhibitor," meaning that it targets a specific enzyme that plays a key role in the coronavirus’ ability to replicate, the release said.

Pfizer also said it had entered into a voluntary license agreement with the UN-backed Medicines Patent Pool to help expand access to the drug in 95 low- and middle-income countries that account for approximately 53% of the world’s population.

The company entered into advance purchase agreements with several other countries and has initiated bilateral outreach to approximately 100 countries around the world to make the medicine available upon approval, the release said.

Pfizer’s application with the FDA for emergency use authorization followed an "interim analysis" of a phase 2/3 clinical trial showing that Paxlovid reduced the risk of hospitalization by nearly 90%, the release added.

Patients in the trial, all considered at high-risk of developing advanced cases of COVID-19, were treated with the drug within three days of symptom onset. None of those treated died, according to the release.