PARIS (Jan 17): Pfizer will add a production facility for its antiviral Covid-19 pill in France as part of a plan to invest €520 million (US$594 million) in the country over the next five years, the US drug maker said on Monday. The decision is part of Pfizer's strategy to boost global production of the pill, paxlovid, which was found to be nearly 90% effective in preventing hospitalisation and deaths in patients at high risk of severe illness, according to clinical trial data. The investment will initially involve the production of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) for paxlovid at a plant run by French pharmaceutical group Novasep, Pfizer said, noting that additional Novasep facilities will be added next year. The drug obtained emergency approval from the US drug regulator in December, and is being assessed for possible authorisation in the European Union. Part of the €520 million will also go into research in France, including partnerships with biotech firms there, according to Pfizer, which declined to give a breakdown of its investments in research and manufacturing in France.
