May 25, 2022 - Health

Pfizer to sell vaccines and drugs at lower price in poorer countries

Erin Doherty

US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla attends a press conference on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos on May 25, 2022 — Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla at a press conference at the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos on May 25. Photo: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images

Pfizer announced Wednesday that it will sell its vaccines and medicines that are available in the U.S. or European Union at not-for-profit prices in some of the world's poorest countries.

Driving the news: The drugmaker, which dubbed the program "An Accord for a Healthier World," said it aims to provide all of the company's medicines and vaccines, including the COVID-19 vaccine and treatment, to 45 lower-income countries.

Pfizer has also committed to providing 23 medicines and vaccines that treat infectious diseases, certain cancers and rare and inflammatory disease, according to a press release announcing the decision.
Pfizer will charge manufacturing costs and "minimal" distribution expenses to deliver the products, company spokesperson Pam Eisele told the Associated Press.
The program was announced at the World Economic Forum's annual gathering in Davos, Switzerland.

The big picture: The head of the World Health Organization earlier this month urged Pfizer to make its COVID-19 treatment, Paxlovid, more available in poorer countries.

"We remain concerned that low- and middle-income countries remain unable to access antivirals," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, AP reports.

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Pfizer to sell vaccines and drugs at lower price in poorer countries

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