Paxlovid is an antiviral medication in pill form developed by Pfizer pharmaceutical company to treat Sars2Coronavirus or COVID-19. It is designed to prevent severe disease from developing in high-risk patients. There is an alternative, but far less effective, product called molnupiravir (“Lagevrio”) by Merck. Both were developed with a funding package passed by Congress at the start of the COVID pandemic which produced the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines plus a host of monoclonal antibodies to be administered to high-risk patients as well. Those monoclonals can no longer be used because the COVID virus has found a new way to elude or resist them. There are no new monoclonal antibodies in production because the cost of development of each one is about $200 million dollars, and the Federal government has decided not to guarantee purchasing them.
The US government purchased 20 million dosages of Paxlovid from Pfizer for the bulk discount rate of $530 per treatment. Americans who became ill received it for no upfront cost. The funding for that program has run out. The Biden administration submitted a bill to the Senate in early November requesting funding for this project to continue and the Senate replied by voting to end the COVID-19 “Emergency” state. The drug Paxlovid is still being administered to adults infected with COVID and considered high-risk under an Emergency Utilization Authorization designation. Pfizer applied for full approval status to the FDA in June of 2022. So far, the FDA has not taken any action on this request. That process can take months to years.
It is expected that in January 2023 , when Federal funding runs out, pharmacies will be charging patients $2,300 for the five-day course of Paxlovid. It will not be covered by insurance. It will not be covered by Medicare Part D which by law can only cover products which have the full approval of the FDA.
The CEO of Pfizer pharmaceuticals has sent a note out to his shareholders and board anticipating huge profits in 2023 because Paxlovid will be sold at retail price. Public health officials are anticipating that the poor and seniors on fixed income will just not take the medication at that price.
As of last week, with the medication available, there were still almost 400 people in the U.S. dying daily from of COVID. Ninety percent of those deaths occurred in seniors 65 years or older who are already vaccinated.
I URGE YOU TO CONTACT YOUR CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVES and PROTEST THEIR LACK OF ACTION ON CONTINUING TO FUND THE DEVELOPMENT AND FUNDING FOR MEDICATIONS TO TREAT COVID.
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