Paxlovid, an antiviral for the treatment of Covid-19 manufactured by Pfizer, has already started to be sold in Brazilian pharmacy chains with a maximum price of R$ 4,856.73. This value may vary depending on the point of sale of the medicine, completes the pharmacist.
On the Drogasil website, for example, a box of the medicine with 30 pills was sold for 4,613.89 this Wednesday afternoon (11). The value, however, presents a discount, since it is possible to observe that the price practiced by the pharmacy reaches the maximum value published by the manufacturer.
In note to Sheet, Pfizer said that about 32% of Paxlovid’s value is tax. In addition, the company stated that the factory price is R$ 3,615. Questioned about the number of copies available in the country, the pharmaceutical company limited itself to saying that it had production capacity for Brazil and that it would make the medicine available based on national demand.
The antiviral received authorization for sale in Brazilian pharmacies in November by Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency). At that time, Pfizer did not have an estimate of how much the medicine would cost in the country – information released by Reuters in February indicated that each treatment of the medicine cost the US government about US$ 530 (approximately R$ 2,800).
Sold only with a medical prescription, Paxlovid is used orally and is indicated for adults who are not using oxygenation, but who are at risk of developing serious cases of Covid-19.
The pill is composed of two antivirals: nirmatrelvir and ritonavir. The medicine acts to reduce the activity of the 3LC enzyme, associated with the viral replication of Sars-CoV-2. The result is control of virus replication in human cells.
Research has already concluded the effectiveness of the remedy. According to Pfizer, one of the studies observed that the drug, administered up to five days after the onset of symptoms, reduces the risk of hospitalization or death by up to 89% in patients with mild or moderate forms of Covid who have at least one risk factor. evolution to serious conditions.
On the other hand, a study called into question the effectiveness of the remedy for the current scenario of the pandemic with the wide dissemination of omicron subvariants. The research, published in the journal BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine, performed a literature review of previously published articles.
The authors concluded that the drug was effective in preventing 1 hospitalization in every 18 cases in a scenario of delta circulation, considered an aggressive variant. The omicron and its subvariants, with a lower ability to cause serious conditions, were also part of the analysis. The expectation was that Paxlovid would further reduce hospitalizations, but this was not seen. In fact, the antiviral prevented 1 hospitalization in every 42 cases.
SUS
Before the private market, Paxlovid had already been available on the SUS (Sistema Único de Saúde) since March 2022. But public health services took a while to receive the first treatments: it was only in September that the first batch of 50,000 units arrived to the country.
Pfizer clarifies that another batch with the same amount should arrive by the end of January.
THE Sheet contacted the Ministry of Health in order to understand how the stock of Paxlovid is in the country. The folder, however, did not respond to requests.
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