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Emory and Pfizer partner to develop new COVID-19 treatments

By Brian Buntz | March 14, 2023

Pfizer/EmoryEmory University has partnered with Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) to create new drugs and therapies aimed at stopping serious disease from COVID-19. The Emory and Pfizer collaboration will take place in Emory University’s Schinazi Laboratory, led by scientist Raymond Schinazi, with the goal of producing novel antiviral compounds to combat COVID, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Although the threat of COVID has waned over the past year, the virus remains a leading cause of death. CDC data shows 1,862 COVID-related deaths in the U.S.

Pfizer, the developer of Paxlovid and collaborator with BioNTech (Nasdaq:BNTX) on the Comirnaty COVID-19 vaccine, is arguably the most visible COVID drug developer.

For Pfizer, this partnership represents an opportunity to maintain its leadership position in the COVID-19 drug market and potentially increase revenue. The company, however, expects its revenue to slide by as much as one-third this year as a result of ebbing demand for COVID therapies. Pfizer projects that its 2023 revenue could range between $67 billion and $71 billion. It topped $100 million last year.

Addressing unmet needs in COVID-19 treatment market

Developing new and improved COVID-19 therapies could help mitigate this decline. By enhancing the efficacy of existing drugs like Paxlovid or creating new treatment options, Pfizer can address unmet needs in the market, improving drug compatibility and reducing side effects associated with COVID therapies.

While the COVID antiviral Paxlovid remains a popular drug, it can have negative drug-drug interactions. It has also been linked to rebound symptoms.

The Emory and Pfizer partnership aims to explore potential new therapies that could bolster Paxlovid’s efficacy.

Pfizer also plans to safeguard revenues by jacking up the cost of COVID-19 vaccines to private payers to between $110 to $130 per dose. The company has also said the new price reflects increased distribution costs and an expected shift from multidose vials to single-dose versions.

Financial implications of the Emory and Pfizer collaboration

The financial details of Emory’s partnership with Pfizer remain undisclosed. As part of the collaboration, the drugmaker will fund the Schinazi Laboratory and support the preclinical development of new compounds. If successful, Pfizer will retain exclusive rights to the most-promising clinical candidates.

Pfizer also recently reached a deal to acquire Seagen (Nasdaq: SGEN) for $43 billion.

 


Filed Under: Drug Discovery and Development, Infectious Disease
Tagged With: antiviral compounds, collaboration, COVID-19 drugs, Emory University, Paxlovid, Pfizer, pharmaceutical research, Schinazi Laboratory
 

About The Author

Brian Buntz

As the pharma and biotech editor at WTWH Media, Brian has almost two decades of experience in B2B media, with a focus on healthcare and technology. While he has long maintained a keen interest in AI, more recently Brian has made making data analysis a central focus, and is exploring tools ranging from NLP and clustering to predictive analytics.

Throughout his 18-year tenure, Brian has covered an array of life science topics, including clinical trials, medical devices, and drug discovery and development. Prior to WTWH, he held the title of content director at Informa, where he focused on topics such as connected devices, cybersecurity, AI and Industry 4.0. A dedicated decade at UBM saw Brian providing in-depth coverage of the medical device sector. Engage with Brian on LinkedIn or drop him an email at bbuntz@wtwhmedia.com.

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