New York (AFP)

The American laboratory Pfizer plans to sell this year for 33.5 billion dollars of vaccines against Covid-19 developed in partnership with the German BioNTech, thanks to orders for 2.1 billion doses worldwide.

That's far more than the $ 26 billion the group said it was banking on in May, and even more than the $ 15 billion estimated in February.

"The speed and effectiveness of our efforts with BioNTech to help immunize the world against Covid-19 is unprecedented, with now more than a billion doses delivered globally," responded the CEO of the group, Albert Bourla, quoted in the press release for the second quarter.

Sales could grow further, as Pfizer / BioNTech advocates a third dose of its vaccine to make it more effective, at a time when the highly contagious Delta variant is causing epidemic outbreaks in Asia and Africa and pushing up the number of cases in Europe and in the USA.

This variant, which initially appeared in India, is the most contagious listed since the appearance of the pandemic in early 2020.

The alliance evoked in early July "encouraging results" of trials for a third dose and planned to seek authorization for a third dose of its vaccine, in the United States and in Europe.

On the strength of its rising sales, the company has logically raised its forecasts for annual turnover and profits.

It now anticipates for the whole of 2021 a turnover of between 78 billion and 80 billion dollars, against 70.5 billion to 72.5 billion dollars in May, carried by its sales of anti-vaccines. Covid who have already grossed $ 11.3 billion in the first six months of the year.

Earnings per share, which serves as a benchmark on Wall Street, could for its part grow from $ 3.95 to $ 4.05, against $ 3.55 to $ 3.65 initially expected.

In the second quarter alone, the group achieved a turnover of 18.9 billion dollars, almost double a year earlier (+ 92%) and above the expectations of analysts who were counting on 18, 45 billion.

Quarterly net income rose 59% to $ 5.5 billion.

Reported by shares, the benchmark on Wall Street, it is 99 cents, again above expectations which were 96 cents.

Pfizer stock was down very slightly in trades leading up to the opening of Wall Street.

© 2021 AFP