US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer said on Tuesday it would sell nearly 500 of its vaccines and drugs to poorer countries at cost, expanding an earlier commitment to reducing global health inequalities.
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In May 2022, as part of an initiative announced at the Davos Economic Forum, the group said it would supply 23 of its vaccines and patented medicines, available in the United States and European Union, to 45 poor countries covering 1.2 billion people.
“Pfizer will now expand its offering under the agreement to include off-patent products, increasing the total number of products offered from 23 to approximately 500,” the company said in a statement.
These are all products for which Pfizer has worldwide rights, she said.
Selling at cost price means that only manufacturing costs and transport costs in the countries concerned are charged.
The drugs and vaccines affected include products “that cure or prevent many of the biggest infectious and non-communicable disease threats that low-income countries face today,” such as antibiotics or chemotherapy, the company added.
“We believe this expansion of our product offering, combined with continued efforts to remove the barriers that limit or prevent access, will help us achieve, and even accelerate, our vision of a world where the world has access to the medicines it needs and vaccines for longer and healthier lives,” Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said in the statement.
As Pfizer brings more drugs and vaccines to market, those will also be included in the agreement.