The price of the life-saving COVID-19 antiviral drug Paxlovid will more than double as the United States emerges from the emergency phase of the pandemic, pharmaceutical maker Pfizer said Wednesday. The list price, before insurance, will be $1,390 for a five-day treatment. , Pfizer said in a statement. This is 2.6 times higher than the price of $530 per course paid by the US government, which provided free Paxlovid to patients during the pandemic. The Wall Street Journal was first to report the new price. Pfizer noted that the list price “does not necessarily reflect the price a patient will pay” and said it works to ensure health insurance arrangements that result in low costs for patients. . The company also said it would offer assistance with copays to eligible individuals, which could reduce their out-of-pocket costs to zero. People with Medicare or Medicaid or who are uninsured will be able to get Paxlovid for free through 2024 through a patient. aid program, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said last week. Pfizer said the program would extend through 2028 for uninsured or “underinsured” patients. The list price change comes as the United States is moving from a system in which the government bought the drug and provided it for free to everyone to a more traditional commercial system. walk. Paxlovid will continue to be free to patients through this system until the end of the year. The price of COVID-19 vaccines also rose as they went through a similar transition to a commercial market, increasing about four times to between $115 and $130 per dose. A financial analyst had estimated a potentially similar three- to five-fold increase for Paxlovid, which would have brought its list price to $2,500. Eric Topol, a professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research, called a potential increase a “price gouging” when CNN reported Pfizer’s plans to raise costs this week. “It’s hard to call it ‘good news’” that the increase was only 2.6. several times, Topol wrote in an email to CNN on Wednesday. He and other doctors had warned that an increase in the price of Paxlovid would create barriers to obtaining the drug. Pfizer said Paxlovid “was a breakthrough in the fight against COVID-19, helping treat millions of high-risk patients across the United States.” and millions of others around the world. “The new award,” the company said, “is based on the value it brings to patients, providers and health systems because of its important role in reducing hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19.” »
The price of the life-saving COVID-19 antiviral drug Paxlovid will more than double as the United States emerges from the emergency phase of the pandemic, pharmaceutical maker Pfizer said Wednesday.
The list price, before insurance, will be $1,390 for a five-day course, Pfizer said in a statement. This is 2.6 times higher than the price of $530 per course paid by the US government, which provided free Paxlovid to patients during the pandemic. The Wall Street Journal was the first to report the new price.
Pfizer noted that the list price “does not necessarily reflect the price a patient will pay” and said it works to ensure health insurance arrangements that result in low out-of-pocket costs for patients. The company also said it would offer co-pay assistance to eligible individuals, which could wipe out their out-of-pocket costs.
People on Medicare or Medicaid or who are uninsured will be able to get Paxlovid for free through 2024 through a patient assistance program, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said last week. Pfizer said the program would extend through 2028 for uninsured or “underinsured” patients.
The change in list price comes as the United States is moving from a system in which the government purchased drugs and provided them free to everyone, toward a more traditional commercial market. Paxlovid will remain free to patients through this system until the end of the year.
The price of COVID-19 vaccines also rose as they went through a similar transition to a commercial market, increasing about four times to between $115 and $130 per dose. A financial analyst had estimated a potentially similar increase, of three to five times, for Paxlovid, which would have brought its list price to $2,500.
Dr. Eric Topol, a professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research, called a potential increase “price gouging” when CNN reported this week on Pfizer’s plans to raise costs.
“Hard to call it ‘good news'” that the increase was only 2.6 times, Topol wrote in an email to CNN on Wednesday. He and other doctors had warned that an increase in the price of Paxlovid would create barriers to obtaining the drug.
Pfizer said Paxlovid “was a breakthrough in the fight against COVID-19, helping treat millions of high-risk patients in the United States and millions more around the world.”
The new award, the company said, “is based on the value it brings to patients, providers and health systems due to its important role in reducing hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19.”
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