The pill brought in over $17 billion for Pfizer in the first three quarters of 2022, including $5.7 billion in the third quarter. Pfizer expects Paxlovid to contribute roughly $22 billion in 2022.

The United States had bought nearly 24 million Paxlovid courses from Pfizer at around $530 (about ₹43,920) a course. Under license from Pfizer, Paxlovid was launched in September in India by Hyderabad-based Zenara Pharma, with the brand name Paxzen and with a price tag of ₹5,200 a box.

In March, in a licensing arrangement with Pfizer, the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) had signed agreements with 35 companies globally to manufacture the generic version of Paxlovid to be supplied in 95 low-and middle-income countries. This included 19 Indian drug makers like Torrent Pharma, Cadila Pharma, Hetero, Biocon, Strides, Glenmark, Emcure, Granules, Macleods, Sun Pharma, and Cipla.

“WHO Prequalification for Niracom is a significant milestone in the fight against Covid-19 as it allows us to expand access to this important innovative antiretroviral drug to people in need," said Dr Vamsi Krishna Bandi, managing director, Hetero Group of Companies. According to Charles Gore, executive director of MPP, quality assurance approval from WHO is an impressive achievement from Hetero as they announced the sublicence agreements just nine months ago.

Paxlovid (Nirmatrelvir) was developed to be administered orally so that it can be prescribed early after infection, potentially helping patients avoid severe illness (which can lead to hospitalisation and death). The drug blocks the activity of Mpro, an enzyme that the coronavirus needs to replicate. Co-administration with a low dose of ritonavir helps slow the metabolism, or breakdown, of Nirmatrelvir in order for it to remain active in the body for longer periods of time at higher concentrations to help combat the virus.

Hetero

Hetero to sell the world’s only generic Covid pill at ₹5,000 per course