Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine is designed to be injected repeatedly into each individual.
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BANGALORE – Multinational pharmaceutical company Pfizer Inc. on Tuesday (28/7) announced developed countries will not buy Covid-19 vaccine at a lower price than the selling price to the United States. America has agreed on a vaccine price of 39 US dollars with Pfizer.
The selling price of the vaccine between Pfizer and the US was set in the contract announced last week. The contents of the contract indicate that each person is likely to be vaccinated repeatedly to be protected from Covid-19.
The United States government has agreed to pay nearly two billion US dollars (around Rp.28.9 trillion) to buy a vaccine candidate developed by Pfizer and the German biotechnology company, BioNTech SE. The vaccine is planned to be injected into 50 million people at a cost of 39 US dollars (around Rp. 564,000) for two doses of anti-virus.
“All developed countries will not get lower prices than selling prices to the United States,” Pfizer Managing Director Albert Bourla said by telephone.
He explained that each person needs to be repeatedly vaccinated for several years to strengthen the immune system. Because the body’s immunity can be reduced over time, given the virus can mutate into a new type.
BioNTech / Pfizer’s mRNA vaccine development technology is ideal for two situations. “You can increase body immunity without losing the vaccine,” Bourla said. “You can also get different types of vaccines just by modifying the (genetic) code,” he added.
Vaccine prices are likely to change when the pandemic ends. The two companies initially supported access to the use of vaccines that were widely opened.
Pfizer is one of many pharmaceutical companies competing to provide Covid-19 vaccine on the market. Vaccines are seen as the only way to end the Covid-19 pandemic which has killed more than 655,000 people in many countries.
BioNTech and Pfizer on Monday (7/27) started a final clinical trial or phase III for prospective vaccines to determine the anti-viral properties.
Bourla said Pfizer was still in discussions with the European Union (EU) and several of its member countries regarding the procurement of the Covid-19 vaccine. “An agreement with the European Union will be much easier,” Bourla said.
“However, we also meet with several member countries if an agreement with the European Union is not reached,” he added.
Three European Union officials said at the weekend that efforts to secure vaccine supplies in Europe were hampered by debates over the appropriate price, method of payment and the cost of liability / risk for procuring the anti-virus.
Bourla criticized the steps of US President Donald Trump, who signed a presidential regulation last week relating to the purchase price of Medicare’s Covid-19 drug. He said the rules that forced Medicare to sell drugs at prices lower than the selling prices in other countries could disrupt business competition, even though the industry was focusing on developing prospective vaccines and drugs Covid-19.
Therefore, Bourla said Pfizer would rethink US expansion plans for vaccine sales if the executive rules were implemented. Pfizer’s profit value in the second quarter of 2020 was higher than analysts on Wall Street predicted.
Pfizer also increased its revenue target by the end of the year. Because, Pfizer estimates that the level of public visit to get the vaccine and treatment to doctors will increase.
The US pharmaceutical company collected total sales of approximately 500 million US dollars (around Rp. 7.23 trillion) in the second quarter of 2020, although demand for a number of products from clinics and hospitals dropped. The decrease in sales value was offset by the demand for Eliquis, a blood thinning product, which is also used to treat Covid-19 patients. Reuters.
source: Between
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