- Amid rising concerns over the potential development of resistance to Pfizer Inc's (NYSE:PFE) COVID-19 pill Paxlovid, the company has declined to supply researchers with the antiviral for use in combination studies, according to a Bloomberg report.
- Researchers say that Paxlovid combined with other drugs might stave off resistance.
- Pfizer hasn't started any combination trials in people, and a review of the clinicaltrials.gov database shows no outpatient combination studies with Paxlovid.
- Efforts to study combinations have been slowed by the extra red tape around emergency use authorizations, according to Carl Dieffenbach, leader of the Biden effort to develop antivirals for Covid and future pandemic threats.
- The appearance of resistance to Paxlovid "is likely just a matter of time," according to Derek Lowe, a medicinal chemist and industry blogger who said he's surprised that combination trials aren't already underway with Paxlovid. "From where I stand it looks like a natural thing to try."
- Pfizer's reluctance to share its antiviral with collaborators has been "disturbing," said Reshma Ramachandran, a postdoctoral fellow in Yale University's National Clinician Scholars Program.
- "It's all very puzzling," she said. "It makes me wonder what's going on."
- Price Action: PFE shares are up 0.06% at $50.43 during the market session on the last check Thursday.
