Pfizer said the U.S. government had agreed to buy additional 10 million courses of its COVID-19 oral therapy, bringing the total order by the government to 20 million courses
The White House now expects some 4 million treatment courses of the pills to be available by the end of January and 10 million by June, three months sooner than previously planned, according to an administration official.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comDetails of the expanded deal, Pfizer's largest yet for the pill, were not disclosed by the company.
For the first order of 10 million courses in November, the U.S. government had said it would pay Pfizer $5.29 billion."These pills will be delivered in the coming months and have been shown to dramatically decrease hospitalization and death from COVID-19," the White House said on Twitter. Pfizer's two-drug regimen called Paxlovid, which is meant to be taken at home for five days soon after onset of COVID symptoms, was authorized last month for people aged 12 and older. In a clinical trial, it was nearly 90% effective in preventing hospitalizations and deaths in patients at high risk of severe illness.
The U.S. official said Washington could activate the Defense Production Act or use other extraordinary powers to speed deliveries if Pfizer encounters any production difficulties.
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