Serum alone accounted for more than half of revenue by generating $13.2 billion, according to the company's financial results released Tuesday.

"We continue to deliver Cominarty to the world, which remains a crucial tool in helping patients and societies avoid the worst effects of the Covid-19 pandemic," Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said in a statement.

"We are on track to deliver on our commitment to deliver at least 2 billion doses to low- and middle-income countries in 2021 and 2022, including at least 1 billion this year," the leader added.

Pfizer has also maintained its forecast of selling $ 22 billion of its anti-Covid pill, Paxlovid, over the whole year.

From January to March, its sales brought in $1.5 billion.

The World Health Organization (WHO) strongly recommended this antiviral in April for patients with less severe forms of Covid-19 and “at higher risk of hospitalization”.

According to Pfizer, the pill has received marketing authorizations in more than 60 countries.

“There is a demand for this product,” said during a conference call with analysts Angela Hwang, the president of the business unit of Pfizer, who anticipates an increase in the number of contaminations with Covid-19 with the. easing of health restrictions, particularly in Europe.

“Every dose we produce is shipped and ordered,” Ms Hwang added.

By the end of June, Pfizer hopes to have produced 30 million doses of Paxlovid in total.

Profit revised down

The company has lowered its annual profit estimate, mainly due to a change in its accounting standards.

The American stock market regulator requires pharmaceutical groups to include certain expenses, in particular for acquisitions in research and development, in their financial projections.

Pfizer now expects annual earnings per share to be between $6.25 and $6.45, down from a range of $6.35 to $6.55 previously.

Forecasts for annual turnover are still between 98 and 102 billion dollars.

The Cominarty vaccine against Covid-19 is expected to represent $32 billion in revenue over the year.

From January to March, the group's net profit reached 7.9 billion dollars.

Reported per share and excluding exceptional items, earnings amounted to $1.62, above market forecasts.

On the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the group recalled that it had maintained its humanitarian deliveries of medicines to Russia, but that all the profits of its subsidiaries in the country were used to finance humanitarian aid for the people. Ukrainian.

Pfizer has also indicated that it will no longer initiate clinical trials in Russia, no longer recruit new patients for ongoing clinical trials and suspend future investments with local partners intended for the construction of factories.

Pfizer shares rose 1.76% to $49.19 in mid-session on Wall Street.

© 2022 AFP