In a statement issued Tuesday, Pfizer said it would grant a license for the antiviral pill to the Geneva-based Medicines Patent Pool, which would let generic drug companies produce the pill for use in 95 countries, making up about 53% of the world’s population.
Still, health officials said the fact that the deal was struck even before Pfizer’s pill has been authorized anywhere, could help to end the pandemic quicker.“It’s quite significant that we will be able to provide access to a drug that appears to be effective and has just been developed, to more than 4 billion people,” Esteban Burrone, head of policy at the Medicines Patent Pool, said.
“We try to strike a very delicate balance between the interests of the , the sustainability required by generic producers and most importantly, the public health needs in lower and middle-income countries,” Burrone said.
How much was the deal?
I appreciate Pfizer's considerate decision. I hope Pfizer will develop economically too.
pfizer BioNTech_Group CNN AlbertBourla mylcheng whca CDCgov FDA NIH HHSGov Surgeon_General DrTedros ashishkjha ScottGottliebMD CEPIvaccines WHO Merck BBCWorld TheEconomist FT Forbes BusinessInsider 1 Wouldn't it nice IF antiviral pills be the Super pills?
DeanBaker13
Under the terms of the agreement, Pfizer will not receive royalties on sales in low-income countries and will waive royalties on sales in all countries covered by the agreement while COVID-19 remains a public health emergency. 👏
PragObots This is a BFD! Thanks, science!
Thank you pfizer
kxly4news This is all turning out to be very lucrative for pfizer. Good thing they got all that money and support from Operation Warp Speed huh?
mikewsyx6 I ran across a documentary called 'Covid-19, Race for the Vaccine' about Pfizer's efforts to get the vaccine out. It's well worth watching. Glad they're willing to share this new pill to help people, not their bottom line.