Paxlovid: Pfizer discloses COVID medication cost

Pfizer discloses COVID medication cost of Paxlovid.
Paxlovid will continue to be accessible at no charge to patients in the U.S.

The government recently arranged the return of 7.9 million courses.

Pfizer has announced that its COVID-19 antiviral treatment, Paxlovid, will be priced at nearly $1,400 per five-day course when it enters commercial sales in the U.S. after the government’s stockpile is depleted.

This list price, which doesn’t account for potential rebates and discounts provided to insurers and pharmacy benefit managers, marks a substantial increase from the approximately $530 per course the U.S. government paid for Paxlovid, which was made available to Americans at no cost.

Pfizer has stated that Paxlovid will continue to be accessible at no charge to patients in the U.S. until the end of 2023. The drug will also remain free for patients insured under the Medicare and Medicaid programs until the conclusion of 2024, and uninsured or underinsured patients will have access through 2028 under the terms of an agreement with the government.

Clinical trials of Paxlovid showed a remarkable reduction of around 90% in hospitalizations and death for unvaccinated individuals at risk of severe disease.

However, the drug didn’t demonstrate a significant benefit for those considered at standard risk, including vaccinated patients, in a separate trial.

The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER), a prominent U.S. drug pricing watchdog, previously suggested a price range for Paxlovid between $563 and $906 per course based on its benefits and value to patients.

The United States purchased approximately 24 million courses of Pfizer’s oral two-drug treatment and still had a substantial supply.

However, the government recently arranged the return of 7.9 million courses. Pfizer adjusted its full-year revenue forecast due to lower-than-expected sales of its COVID-19 products.

The credit from the returned Paxlovid doses will cover the supply to Medicare, Medicaid, underinsured, and uninsured patients under the terms of the deal.

Demand for the drug has waned since last year. In 2022, around 7 million courses of Paxlovid were administered based on U.S. government data. As of October 1, 2023, roughly 3.4 million courses had been used.

The new list price was initially reported by the Wall Street Journal.

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Paxlovid: Pfizer discloses COVID medication cost

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