Pfizer sells 4 million courses of Paxlovid oral drug to UNICEF

The deal represents just 3% of the company’s output this year of 120 million courses of Paxlovid. According to Pfizer, the 95 countries receiving UNICEF’s Paxlovid this time account for about 53% of the world’s population. However, Pfizer did not disclose the financial aspect of the deal.

In a statement, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said the agreement with UNICEF is an important part of its strategy towards equal access to COVID-19 medicines for everyone around the world.

According to the company, low-, lower- and middle-income countries will be provided with the drug at a non-profit price, while high-middle-income countries will have to pay a higher price. Pfizer expects to be able to complete some orders for the drug from these countries in April, and said supplies could continue through the whole year.

Paxlovid is an oral antiviral drug for the treatment of COVID-19, containing two active ingredients, nirmatrelvir and ritonavir. The drug is expected to be an important tool in the fight against COVID-19 after a clinical trial showed it reduced hospital admissions in high-risk patients by about 90%.