The war against Covid-19 already has a winner: Pfizer, the American pharma giant who, under the guidance of a general arriving from Greece, the veterinarian Albert Borla, and the collaboration of a German quasi-start-up – BionTech – created by a couple of Turkish doctors, it has created the best-selling and most profitable medicine in the history of medicine: 36 billion dollars in turnover as many as the sale of 2021 billion doses generates, for 2,3 alone .
The last triumph dates back to a few hours ago. The American authorities have given the definitive green light to the anti-Covid vaccine of the US house for i children between 5 and 11 years old. "Today - reads the note from the White House - we have reached a turning point in our battle against Covid -19: the authorization of a safe and effective vaccine for children will allow parents to end months of anxious concern for children own children and reduce the extent to which children spread the virus to others. A scientific success that absolves Big Pharma, at least for a few hours, of the accusation of having profited from human misfortunes, guaranteeing advantages only to rich countries while the epidemic rages around the globe: 5 million victims or, according to analysts, at least three times more. 85% of vaccines so far have been reserved for rich countries. Without forgetting that Pfizer opposes patent liberalization.
But in the days of victory, these data fade into the background. Wall Street was able to celebrate with a sturdy rise, 4 percent abundant, the brave and lucky general who defeated his competitors, stage after stage: in March revenues were estimated at 15 billion, which rose to 26 at the beginning of summer. Today, however, they have become 36 while the market share of Pfizer and its German ally BioNTech has gradually risen from 50 to 70%, today to 80% of the world market. A commercial triumph which rests on an extraordinary scientific successo: 18 months ago, very few would have bet on the rapid production of a "magic potion" capable of countering the virus. The forecasts, based on the history of vaccines, spoke of ten years or so. Then, thanks to the decision to proceed with innovative technologies (based on the Rna messenger) the picture changed. Merit of the intuitions developed by a German start-up from Mainz, led by a copy of Turkish scientists who have been collaborating with Pfizer since August 2018 in the search for anti-flu vaccines which in November 2020 was able to announce to the world that, in the experimental phase , the vaccine had shown 90% efficacy.
Un scientific success which has turned into an extraordinary operation at the service of humanity only because the intuition of the two biotech geniuses has combined with a real commercial and logistical war machine. It was Pfizer, until yesterday celebrated as the Viagra company, very able to exploit the tax passport guaranteed by Ireland, the key to the success of the vaccine. The multinational's laboratories have offered their expertise to cut the times and methods of the various tests as well as to shorten the times of the examinations by the authorities. No less important, only the formidable structure of big pharma guaranteed the logistics of one of the most complex and delicate operations (just think of the conservation of vials) in history.
Sure, a lot effort is well paid. The market share in Europe, after the landslide of Astra Zeneca, rose to 80% in Europe, to 74% in the USA. And the profits, which at the end of the year will rise to 4,18 dollars per share from 3,95, are there to demonstrate that even in biotech, as in Silicon Valley, the great challenges have only one winner who leaves the crumbs or little to the competitors more. But, to complete the picture, it must be said that Big Pharma, at least until yesterday, have kept away from the world of vaccines, risky and all in all unprofitable because they are forced to work with the States, to focus on other diseases from therapies billionaires. This too must be taken into account when evaluating the golden profits of the company led by a veterinarian with a business bump, capable of intercepting, together with his German ally, the 440 million public aid received by BioNTtech in Germany together with one hundred million euros from the European Investment Bank. Peanuts, in hindsight, in the face of a historic result.
