The pharmaceutical giant Pfizer will invest more than 520 million euros in France over five years, particularly in the fight against Covid-19, its CEO announced on Monday morning. The American group has thus signed a letter of intent with the pharmaceutical laboratory Novasep, based in Mourenx (Pyrénées-Atlantiques).
Novasep will produce the active ingredient (API) of Pfizer’s Covid-19 treatment, Paxlovid. “The group thus joins Pfizer’s global network of suppliers, which will manufacture up to 120 million boxes [de Paxlovid] intended for patients worldwide by the end of 2022,” Novasep said in a statement. The Mourenx site could produce the active ingredient of Paxlovid from the third quarter of 2022. To date, the group plans to recruit more than 40 additional employees dedicated to this project at the Mourenx site.
A treatment that has shown a positive impact on patient hospitalization
“We are proud to contribute to the manufacture of this drug, which has shown during clinical trials a positive impact on the hospitalization of patients at risk suffering from Covid-19,” said Novasep CEO Michel Spagnol in a press release. . This contract also validates our investment strategy and our focus on small molecules. »
This treatment, if taken in the first days of the appearance of symptoms, would reduce the chances of contracting a serious form leading to hospitalization by 90%.
Contacted by 20 minutes, the mayor of Mourenx Patrice Laurent is obviously delighted. “With this drug which avoids hospitalizations and serious forms, we are helping to get out of this anxiety-provoking period that we have just lived through for two years, it is a source of pride. Beyond that, more than six million euros will be invested, dozens of jobs at stake. We are lucky to have a very favorable ecosystem on our territory, since other industrial projects are underway, we have training, research with the University of Pau and the Total and Arkéma groups…”