By Sue-Ann Wayow
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO is in talks with Pfizer concerning its Covid-19 antiviral oral pill.
This was revealed by Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh at the virtual media conference on Wednesday.
The pill may soon be available to almost half of the world’s countries.
Deyalsingh said T&T has signed a non-disclosure agreement with Pfizer and therefore does not want to say anything that may spook the company. He said he will update the population as more information comes to hand.
The candidate drug PF-07321332 is administered in combination with low dose of PF-07321332 ritonavir, used to treat HIV patients.
In a release on Tuesday, Pfizer stated that it would grant a license for the antiviral pill to the Geneva-based Medicines Patent Pool (MPP), which would let generic drug companies produce the pill for use in 95 countries, making up about 53% of the world’s population.
The MPP is supported by the United Nations.
“The agreement will enable MPP to facilitate additional production and distribution of the investigational antiviral, pending regulatory authorisation or approval, by granting sub-licenses to qualified generic medicine manufacturers, with the goal of facilitating greater access to the global population,” Pfizer stated.
The countries expected to benefit are all low- and lower-middle-income countries and some upper-middle-income countries in Sub-Saharan Africa as well as countries that have transitioned from lower-middle to upper-middle-income status in the past five years.
It excludes some upper-income countries that have also suffered devastating effects of the pandemic despite their world economic status.
Pfizer stated that it will not receive royalties on sales in low-income countries and will further waive royalties on sales in all countries covered by the agreement while Covid-19 remains classified as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization.
Pfizer’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Albert Bourla said, “Pfizer remains committed to bringing forth scientific breakthroughs to help end this pandemic for all people. We believe oral antiviral treatments can play a vital role in reducing the severity of Covid-19 infections, decreasing the strain on our healthcare systems and saving lives. We must work to ensure that all people regardless of where they live or their circumstances have access to these breakthroughs, and we are pleased to be able to work with MPP to further our commitment to equity.”
Executive Director of MPP Charles Gore said, “This license is so important because, if authorised or approved, this oral drug is particularly well suited for low and middle-income countries and could play a critical role in saving lives, contributing to global efforts to fight the current pandemic. PF-07321332 is to be taken together with ritonavir, an HIV medicine we know well, as we have had a license on it for many years, and we will be working with generic companies to ensure there is enough supply for both Covid-19 and HIV.”
About PF- 07321332
PF-07321332 is an investigational SARS-CoV-2 protease inhibitor antiviral therapy, specifically designed to be administered orally so that it can be prescribed at the first sign of infection or at first awareness of exposure, potentially helping patients avoid severe illness which can lead to hospitalisation and death. PF-07321332 is designed to block the activity of the SARS-CoV-2-3CL protease, an enzyme that the coronavirus needs to replicate. Co-administration with a low dose of ritonavir helps slow the metabolism, or breakdown, of PF-07321332 in order for it to remain active in the body for longer periods of time at higher concentrations to help combat the virus.
