Published on : 25/05/2022 – 12:29
The American pharmaceutical giant Pfizer pledged on Wednesday, May 25, to sell some of its drugs and vaccines at cost to 45 poor countries, as part of an initiative announced at the Davos Economic Forum.
In Switzerland, on the occasion of the Davos Economic Forum, the Pfizer company has taken a position to facilitate the access of the poorest countries to its innovative treatments. The pharmaceutical laboratory ensures that it will sell 23 of its drugs and vaccines at cost price.
“With all that we have learned and accomplished over the past two years, now is the time to start closing the gap further ‘between’ those who can access these innovations and those who cannot,” explained the CEO. of the pharmaceutical giant, Albert Bourla, during a press conference.
At the moment, five countries (Senegal, Rwanda, Ghana, Malawi and Uganda) have joined this agreement, which focuses on five therapeutic areas: infectious diseases, oncology, rare diseases, inflammatory diseases and women’s health. “This commitment will increase access to Pfizer’s patented medicines and vaccines available in the United States and European Union for nearly 1.2 billion people,” Angela Hwang, head of Pfizer, told AFP. .
A total of 23 of the company’s vaccines and drugs are patented in the fields concerned. This includes, for example, several cancer treatments, but also l’antiviral Paxlovid and the Pfizer vaccine against Covid-19.
If a better price has been negotiated elsewhere as part of equity efforts in the fight against the pandemic, this is the one that will apply, Pfizer said. Selling at cost means that only manufacturing costs and transport expenses will be charged in the countries concerned.
An “important step towards sustainable health security” for Paul Kagame
Furthermore, if other drugs are developed in the future in these areas, they will automatically be included in the agreement. Present in Davos, Rwandan President Paul Kagame, called the initiative “an important step towards sustainable health security,” adding that “Pfizer’s commitment sets a new standard that we hope to see others emulate.” The agreement is intended to eventually apply to all low-income countries and 18 low- to middle-income countries, as defined by the World Bank.
Pfizer must also work with the five countries that have already signed up to identify the necessary changes, particularly in terms of procedures, infrastructure and the training of healthcare personnel, so that these treatments actually reach patients.
Albert Bourla also said that the pharmaceutical giant continued to work with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, with the aim of developing new vaccines. “Partnerships with companies like Pfizer have been essential to the progress we have made,” responded billionaire and philanthropist Bill Gates, also present in Davos, citing the example of the pneumococcal vaccine.
Infectious diseases kill nearly a million people each year in these poor countries, according to the company. Pfizer’s announcement “will facilitate access to some of its essential treatments, and hopefully allow a better fight against targeted diseases”, commented to AFP Amesh Adalja, specialist in infectious diseases.
With AFP