Agreement to facilitate access to the anti-Covid pill from manufacturer Pfizer around the world

Pfizer has signed a voluntary license agreement that should allow its anti-Covid pill - once authorized - to be distributed beyond rich countries in order to combat the pandemic more effectively, the American pharmaceutical giant and the Patent Pool announced on Tuesday. drugs (MPP), created by Unitaid.

Generic drug makers "who are sublicensed will be able to supply the new drug in combination with ritonavir (a drug used against the AIDS virus) to 95 countries, covering up to about 53% of the population. global, ”said a spokesperson for Unitaid.

In early November, Pfizer revealed that in adults at high risk of developing a severe form of the disease, its oral antiviral PF-07321332 was 89% effective in preventing the risk of hospitalization or death, according to interim results of 'clinical tests.

Benefits of advanced vaccine manufacturers

Pfizer, BioNTech and Moderna rake a combined profit of $ 65,000 per minute from their vaccines against Covid-19, according to a study by the People's Vaccine Alliance, which counts among its 80 members Oxfam and UNAIDS and campaigns for a better distribution of vaccines worldwide.

These pharmaceutical groups have amassed this money by selling the vast majority of their doses to rich countries, at the expense of less developed nations which remain very poorly vaccinated, deplores the association.

According to its calculations, based on the results published by these companies, the trio will make pre-tax profits of $ 34 billion this year, or more than a thousand dollars per second, $ 65,000 per minute or $ 93.5 million per minute. day.

Pfizer, BioNTech and Moderna thus distinguish themselves from AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson, which currently sell their vaccines at cost price.

French West Indies: strike against the vaccine obligation

Two firefighters were injured and two people arrested Monday in Guadeloupe, in the French West Indies, on the first day of an unlimited general strike against the vaccine obligation and the health pass, according to a union source and the prosecution.

CEO of bank exempt from quarantine in Hong Kong

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam on Tuesday defended the exemption from the three-week quarantine enjoyed by the director of JP Morgan Chase, saying he worked for "a very large bank".

The comments came as she announced that more than 100 freight pilots had been quarantined at the hotel and that the city was at risk of running out of flight personnel.

Sevens rugby: Hong Kong tournament still postponed

The famous Hong Kong Sevens rugby tournament has been postponed from April to November 2022, organizers said, the fifth postponement since the start of the pandemic.

The organizers cannot guarantee that "all participating teams will be authorized to travel and that they will be able to host the event to our own high standards" before next April, said in a statement Robbie McRobbie, general manager of the Hong Kong Rugby Federation (HKRU).

More than 5.1 million dead

The pandemic has killed at least 5,105,488 people around the world since the end of December 2019, according to a report established by AFP from official sources on Tuesday at 11:00 GMT.

The United States is the country with the most deaths (764,365), ahead of Brazil (611,346), India (463,852), Mexico (291,204) and Russia (257,837).

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, taking into account the excess mortality directly and indirectly linked to Covid-19, that the toll of the pandemic could be two to three times higher.

burx-ang / ber / clr

© 2021 AFP