Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) In Discussions With Federal Government Of Brazil for Supply Of Its COVID-19 Vaccine
Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) has engaged the Brazilian Government to supply its investigational COVID-19 vaccine to the country in Q1 2021. Brazil’s Ministry of Health indicated in a statement on Tuesday that the country was planning to order the Pfizer vaccines once it receives approval from domestic health regulator.
Brazil to order Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine
In Brazil, around 3,100 people are taking part in a late-stage study of the investigational vaccine that Pfizer and German company BioNTech are co-developing. The announcement from the Brazillian authorities comes after the Sao Paulo state started importing the first 46 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine from China. However, the Federal Government of Brazil is taking a precautions approach regarding the Pfizer vaccine despite the company indicating that their vaccine is more than 90% effective according to preliminary data.
Pfizer Brazil’s Country Manager, Carlos Murillo stated that they have been working strongly with Brazilian authorities to fast-track availability of the vaccines in the country as soon as possible. Early in the week, Pfizer said that initial data from the third phase late-stage studies showed of the vaccines showed that it is effective. Pfizer and BioNTech become the first among pharmaceutical companies to deliver a COVID-19 vaccine to fight the pandemic that has claimed more than 1.2 million lives worldwide.
Pfizer has addressed the issues of vaccine storage
The only setback to the vaccine is that it needs storage at minus 700 Celsius. This will be a significant impediment to developing nations which will face a challenge of establishing the necessary chain. However, Murillo said that the company has come up with a way of keeping the vaccine in good condition through the use of dry ice. He said that although this is not a simple issue and will not solve the logistics challenge, it, however, changes the paradigm that each nation will require an ultra-freezer at vaccination centres.
Pfizer has three different price tags where there is one for affluent countries, another for middle-income nations such as Brazil and low-income nations.