The Greek-born Bourla took the reins as Pfizer’s CEO in January 2019, and barely had time to get settled in when the pandemic hit. Yet he has stepped up to meet the crisis like few others. Pfizer became the first drug maker to gain U.S. approval of an mRNA vaccine against Covid-19 in late 2020, then produced 3 billion doses last year (the company expects to hit 4 billion this year). In December 2021, Pfizer won FDA approval of an antiviral pill, Paxlovid, and has inked an agreement allowing it to be manufactured and sold in 95 countries. Pfizer is waiving royalties in those countries as long as the World Health Organization classifies Covid-19 as a public health emergency of international concern — and is foregoing royalties entirely in low-income nations. The company hopes to produce an Omicron-specific version of its Covid vaccine later in 2022.
From STAT:
