Working with policymakers across Europe to ensure the free flow of critical health care materials

At the height of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe, there was unprecedented demand (more than 200%) for Pfizer Hospital/Anti-Infective sterile injectable medicines. While Pfizer leveraged one of the most sophisticated and resilient global supply chain systems in the industry to deliver beyond expectations, governments began implementing measures to ensure patients would have continued access to these critical treatments in their countries. These included proposals around export restrictions, weakening intellectual property rights, mandating stockpiles and other restrictive policies, which Pfizer knew would only have the reverse effect of tightening domestic supply chains.

Working across the industry and the health care sector, Pfizer elevated these issues to the highest levels of government. Acting as a leading voice in the collaboration between manufacturers, the European Commission, the European Medicines Agency and Ministers of Health, Pfizer helped solve immediate challenges to the free flow of medicines across Europe. Pfizer also successfully engaged with the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations and Medicines for Europe to secure a competition waiver allowing pharmaceutical companies to work more closely in ensuring steady supply levels of medicines used to support COVID-19 treatments.

At an individual company level, Pfizer established a pandemic preparedness program enabling joint advance supply planning for governments readying for potential future waves of COVID-19.

Pfizer welcomes opportunities to proactively collaborate to take on challenges and meet needs. We are proud to work with governments, hospitals and other health care institutions to provide patients with continued access to Pfizer medicines when they need them most.