Biden’s ‘Test to Treat’ Plan Windfall for Pfizer, Merck — But Bad for Patients

By  Megan Redshaw

President Biden on Tuesday announced a new “Test to Treat” initiative which will allow Americans who test positive for COVID-19 to obtain free antiviral pills directly from pharmacies. Pfizer and Merck will reap billions from the taxpayer-funded plan, but doctors criticized the initiative.

President Biden on Tuesday announced a new “Test to Treat” initiative during his State of the Union address which will allow Americans who test positive for COVID-19 at a pharmacy to obtain free antiviral pills “on the spot.”

Biden said the new initiative is a ​​key part of a revamped national strategy to return the country to normal.

But what he didn’t say is that the initiative is also a windfall for pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer and Merck.

Pfizer stands to make $54 billion in sales from its vaccine and antiviral COVID pill, Paxlovid. Merck expects to make up to $7 billion in profits from molnupiravir, a drug whose research and development was funded by taxpayers.

Biden said he ordered “millions of pills” from Pfizer, paid for by U.S. tax dollars, to allow them to be passed out “for free.”

“If you get Covid-19, the Pfizer pill reduces your chances of ending up in the hospital by 90%,” Biden said. “I’ve ordered more pills than anyone in the world has. Pfizer is working overtime to get us a million pills this month and more than double that next month.”

The federal government in June 2021 signed a $1.2 billion contract with Merck for 1.7 million courses of molnupiravir, even though the experimental treatment was still in clinical trials.

Merck on Feb. 8 announced a new contract, showing the government upped its commitment, agreeing to purchase 3.1 million courses of the drug, with the option to purchase more.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for both Paxlovid and molnupiravir antiviral oral treatments used to treat mild or moderate COVID.

A White House official, who preferred to remain anonymous, told The New York Times hundreds of “one-stop shops” in March will open across the U.S. in retail locations including CVS, Walgreens and Kroger, with plans to grow the program over time.

“The Test to Treat Initiative will also include new actions to educate the public about the availability of new treatments and the importance of starting them soon after the onset of symptoms, provide information to health care providers about these new treatments and distribute antiviral pills directly to long-term care facilities,” the official said.

Reacting to Biden’s State of the Union address, Dr. Meryl Nass, a physician and member of the Children’s Health Defense (CHD) scientific advisory committee tweeted:

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Biden just promised that people could get a test at a drugstore and if positive, they could get a ($700) medicine for free to treat their COVID. Meaning Pfizer's or Merck's drugs; the USG bought plenty of each.

— MERYL NASS, MD (@NassMeryl) March 2, 2022

Nass also expressed concern Biden’s plan allows people to bypass medical doctors, who are tasked with warning patients about the risks of these “genotoxic” drugs.

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Think about this. Biden promises if COVID positive you get treated free, without a doctor. Without a learned intermediary to warn you about the risks of the Merck’s genotoxicity drug that can cause mutations.
Ongoing demolition of medicine

— MERYL NASS, MD (@NassMeryl) March 2, 2022

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Via https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/bidens-test-to-treat-windfall-pfizer-merck/