Pfizer rides Paxlovid sales to better-than-expected quarter

By TOM MURPHY
AP Health Writer

Pfizer’s COVID-19 treatment helped the pharmaceutical giant balance tumbling international sales for its coronavirus vaccine and top third-quarter expectations. The pill treatment Paxlovid brought in $7.5 billion in sales in the quarter and has generated more than $17 billion so far this year. Sales from the vaccine Comirnaty, meanwhile, tumbled 66% to $4.4 billion in the quarter. That was mainly due to changes in a European Commission supply agreement that pushed dose deliveries into the fourth quarter. Sales also were hurt by slow demand in emerging markets. Overall, Pfizer’s profit jumped 6% to $8.61 billion in the third quarter.