Tag: pfizer

Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE built the case that their Covid-19 vaccine will protect against the new UK variant. Like previous work out of the University of Texas Medical Branch, the results published today(20th January 2021) showed that antibodies in the blood of people who had been vaccinated were able to neutralize a version of the mutant virus that was created in the lab. The study was published on preprint server BioRxiv prior to peer review. Unlike the earlier study, which focused on one crucial mutation, the new research tested all 10 mutations located on the virus’s spike protein, which helps it bind to cells in the host. Antibodies in the blood of 16 volunteers in a previous German trial of the vaccine were just as effective against the lab-created mutant strain as they were against the original virus. The result “makes it very unlikely that the U.K. variant viruses will escape” protection from the vaccine, wrote a BioNTech research team.

Pfizer has indicated that it will have differential pricing for different countries. In the US, the company has priced the vaccine for government procurement at $39 for two doses. In the UK, the vaccine is estimated to cost close to $40 for two doses. A Pfizer India spokesperson said the company would price the vaccine in a way that can help governments ensure there is little or no out-of-pocket costs for their population. As such, its global pricing strategy is dependent on volumes, advance commitments, and affordability. "Our vaccine approach is based on the principle of ensuring broad access and supplies to governments,’’ the spokesperson said. He added that the company remains ‘’committed to engaging with the government of India and exploring opportunities to make this vaccine available for use in the country."

Government sources have indicated that India may not procure the mRNA vaccine, which American major Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech have developed, for the immunization drive. The higher cost of the Pfizer vaccine, already approved by the UK and the US regulators, is among the primary reasons why other options may be preferred by India. At $37 per dose, the Pfizer vaccine is much more expensive compared to $3 per dose for the Covishield, a vaccine developed by Oxford-AstraZeneca and manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, according to the sources. Also Unlike others, Pfizer would require minus 70 degree Celsius temperature for storage. Even the Russian vaccine Sputnik V is cheaper than Pfizer at $10 per dose. Indigenous vaccines from Bharat Biotech and Zydus Cadila are expected to be in the range of $3-6 per dose. The cost of cold-chain infrastructure to maintain the stringent temperature requirement for the Pfizer vaccine would add to the overall expenditure.

Shares of Pfizer gained 5 per cent to Rs 5384.95 after the U.K.country approved a Covid-19 vaccine, with its regulator clearing Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE’s shot ahead of decisions in the U.S. and European Union. The UK became the first country to approve Covid-19 Vaccine and will be available in Britain from next week, according to a government statement. The British regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), says the jab, which claims to offer up to 95 per cent protection against COVID-19 illness, is safe for rollout. The UK is expected to receive a total of 40 million doses by the end of 2021, enough to vaccinate up to a third of the population, with the majority of doses anticipated in the first half of next year. The vaccine will be manufactured in BioNTech’s German sites, as well as Pfizer’s manufacturing site in Belgium. Read more

Shares of Pfizer gained 20 per cent on Tuesday and touched a record high of Rs.5900 a piece after its parent company Pfizer Inc said that its Covid-19 vaccine was more than 90 per cent effective, based on initial trial results. Pfizer and German partner BioNTech said they had found no serious safety concerns yet and expected to seek US emergency use authorization this month, raising the chance of a regulatory decision as soon as December, an announcement that triggered hopes worldwide. The trial will continue through a final analysis at 164 confirmed cases. The trial has enrolled 43,538 participants to date, and of these, 38,955 had received a second dose as of November 8. If permission granted, the two companies estimate they can roll out up to 50 million doses this year, enough to protect 25 million people, and then produce up to 1.3 billion doses in 2021. This announcement has cheered the world market on hopes of Covid vaccine. Read more