KALAMAZOO, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Sixteen Michigan legislators signed a letter on Tuesday demanding that Kalamazoo-based Pfizer respond to a recent video where one of its executives appeared to brag about the company’s mutation of viruses so it could develop new vaccines.

 

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The pharmaceutical mainstay has come under scrutiny in the last week after Project Veritas released a video showing Pfizer Director of Research and Development Jordon Walker bragging that the company has considered mutating the COVID-19 virus through a different name for gain-of-function research called “directed evolution.” Walker said on camera the goal was to develop new vaccines.

 

Pfizer issued the following statement: “Working with collaborators, we have conducted research where the original SARS-CoV-2 virus has been used to express the spike protein from new variants of concern. This work is undertaken once a new variant of concern has been identified by public health authorities. This research provides a way for us to rapidly assess the ability of an existing vaccine to induce antibodies that neutralize a newly identified variant of concern. We then make this data available through peer reviewed scientific journals and use it as one of the steps to determine whether a vaccine update is required.”

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The statement continued, “In addition, to meet U.S. and global regulatory requirements for our oral treatment, PAXLOVID™, Pfizer undertakes in vitro work (e.g., in a laboratory culture dish) to identify potential resistance mutations to nirmatrelvir, one of PAXLOVID’s two components. With a naturally evolving virus, it is important to routinely assess the activity of an antiviral. Most of this work is conducted using computer simulations or mutations of the main protease–a non-infectious part of the virus. In a limited number of cases when a full virus does not contain any known gain of function mutations, such virus may be engineered to enable the assessment of antiviral activity in cells. In addition, in vitro resistance selection experiments are undertaken in cells incubated with SARS-CoV-2 and nirmatrelvir in our secure Biosafety level 3 (BSL3) laboratory to assess whether the main protease can mutate to yield resistant strains of the virus. It is important to note that these studies are required by U.S. and global regulators for all antiviral products and are carried out by many companies and academic institutions in the U.S. and around the world.”

To conclude, Pfizer wrote, “Fact-based information rooted in sound science is vitally important to overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic and Pfizer remains committed to transparency and helping alleviate the devastating burden of this disease.”

Tuesday’s letter from Michigan lawmakers also came on the heels of earnings reports for Pfizer. The company said on Tuesday it is anticipating a bigger-than-expected drop in sales of its COVID-19 vaccine and treatment for 2023. The Biden administration said it will end the pandemic emergency in May and vaccine mandates are falling to the wayside.

Pfizer’s total annual sales crossed the $100 billion mark for the first time in 2022, driven by the more than $56 billion in sales of its COVID-19 vaccine and Paxlovid antiviral treatment.

The company expected 2023 to top $71 billion in revenue.