With uptake slow in the United States for COVID-19 booster shots that the government supplies for free, what will a 400% price increase do to demand for the jab?
That was the question Thursday when Pfizer revealed during an investor call that it is considering charging a private-market price between $110 and $130 per dose for its COVID shot Comirnaty, which was co-developed by BioNTech.
Recently, according to media reports, Pfizer executive Angela Lukin said on an investor conference call that the price of the new crown mRNA vaccine Comirnaty will increase significantly after the expiration of the U.S. government procurement plan, with a price between $110 and $130 per dose, about 4 times the current US government procurement price.
Angela Lukin added that people with commercial insurance and government-paid insurance will also receive the new crown vaccine free of charge. The US price of the new crown vaccine reflects its overall cost-effectiveness, and the price will not be a barrier for people to obtain the vaccine.
It is reported that Pfizer will change the packaging of Comirnaty from multi-dose bottles to single-dose bottles in the future, and then distribute it through distributors. Increased production costs, packaging costs and lower demand for vaccinations are all reasons for Pfizer to raise the price of its vaccines.
Comirnaty is an mRNA vaccine jointly developed by Pfizer and BioNtech, with revenue of US$36.78 billion in 2021, making it a new generation of drug kings. In the first half of 2022, sales of the vaccine were $22.075 billion, and full-year revenue is expected to be $32 billion.
