Pfizer Inc. PFE said Tuesday it has expanded its commitment to ‘An Accord for a Healthier World’ to include all of the medicines and vaccines for which it holds global rights on a not-for-profit basis to improve the health of 1.2 billion people living in 45 lower-income countries. The move increase the number of products to around 500 from an original 23 by including off-patent products. The accord was launched in May of 2022 to reduce health inequities between richer and poorer countries. Pfizer said the expansion is aimed at aligning with disease burden and unmet medical needs. The list of available treatments now includes cancer chemotherapies and antibiotics, which can help prevent about 1.5 million deaths that occur each year in these countries due to bacterial infections in hospitals and community health clinics. Pfizer shares were down 1.8% in premarket trade and have fallen 13% in the last 12 months, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA has fallen 4%.
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