EU may pay more for Pfizer COVID shots in exchange for lower volume |
27 january (Reuters) – Brussels is discussing with Pfizer ( PFE.N ) and BioNTech ( 22UAy.DE ) the possibility of reducing up to 500 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine that the EU has committed to buying this year in exchange for higher doses. A source with knowledge of the negotiations said.
An extension to the delivery deadline, possibly to the second half of 2024, is also on the table, the source said. They refused to reveal their identity as the talks are confidential.
Negotiations are ongoing and it is unclear what the final outcome will be.
The talks come amid a global spate of COVID-19 shots and are linked to the largest deal for all vaccines signed by the EU during the pandemic.
Europe A Commission spokesman asked for comment on the talks, which urged vaccine manufacturers to work with member states and the Commission “to ensure that agreements reflect the changing situation”.
The commission will “continue to adapt the supply of vaccine doses over the coming years and extend it over a larger period of time,” the spokesman said, declining to comment on pricing or other details.
A Pfizer spokeswoman declined to comment on the details of the discussions, but said the company has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to addressing the concerns of EU member states.
Regarding pricing, a Pfizer spokesperson said: “We always use agreed volumes and national We have a tiered pricing approach for the COVID-19 vaccine, guided by income levels.”
A BioNTech spokesperson added that their company was “in a bid to find pragmatic solutions while adhering to the basic principles agreed upon between the parties in concluding the contract. Europe It continues to work with the Commission and governments.”
GLOBAL GLUT
Although overvaccination is a problem worldwide, Europe especially struggling with a large surplus.
Most of those in the EU who wanted the initial course of the COVID-19 vaccine and were eligible for subsequent boosters received them. The EU’s drug regulator warned in November that uptake of booster doses had been disappointing.
In May 2021, Brussels signed an agreement with Pfizer and BioNTech to purchase 900 million doses by the end of 2023, with an option for an additional 900 million doses.
About half or more of that contract’s first 900 million doses have yet to be delivered, as demand has fallen over the past year. The EU did not use the additional option.
According to Our World in Data magazine, about 328 million people in the EU have received the first course of the vaccine, out of a population of about 450 million.
Talks on unwanted doses are the latest in a series of talks on changes to the 2021 treaty. Brussels is under pressure to reduce the volume as EU member states complain of strained budgets and a reluctance to spend on unnecessary doses.
In the May 2021 contract, 19.50 euros (21.22 dollars) amount that the European governments have to pay under the contract this year is 7.8 billion with 9.75 billion is between euros.
It is unclear what the renegotiated price will be in Europe. USAin Pfizer, 110-130 per dose in the fall USA It hopes to receive a list price of between $100,000 and $100,000, though that price does not include discounts.
EU officials have said for months that there is a mismatch between supply and demand for COVID-19 vaccines.
“We are no longer at the peak of the crisis and this directly affects our demand for vaccines, public finances are currently under great strain,” EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides told a European Council meeting in December.
“Our vaccine contracts should take into account the current situation and companies should be flexible about it,” he said.
Last summer, the two sides agreed to freeze supplies to give EU countries time to manage what they are buying. It comes after EU governments warned Pfizer and other companies that millions of doses could be wasted.
In November, they signed an amendment that would allow countries to deliver and stockpile doses, which would increase the supplyflour is another sign.
($1 = 0.9184 euros)
by Maggie Fick report; Supplement by Michael Erman in New York and Patricia Weiss in Frankfurt report; Edited by Josephine Mason and Jan Harvey
Our standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
2023-01-28 03:01:36
Source – reuters
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