MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Big Pharma companies gross 152bn dollars since the beginning of the pandemic

Fears of financial losses following side effects have subsided

Despite setbacks with patients dying or suffering from undesired side effects which led to the suspension of some vaccines in various countries, the market value of pharmaceutical companies continues to rise, having amassed 152 billion US dollars in profits since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, it was reported.

Market analysts do not foresee any of the problems which appeared at various places worldwide might have an impact on the evolution of the vaccine business.

To put it in a regional perspective, pharmaceutical companies yearly earnings is four times greater than Mexico's health budget of around 33.2 billion US dollars.

It was feared at some point that in light of the anomalies and side effects reported about some vaccines, the initial projections would have had to be amended, but there was no impact whatsoever, according to business journals. Quite the opposite: By January, profits were estimated at 90 billion US dollars, compared to this week's 152bn, which represents a 70% increase.

Johnson & Johnson, who manufacture one of the most controversial immunizers, has a market value of 436.477 billion dollars, 10 per cent above 384.272bn at the start of the pandemic. This pharmaceutical company opened in 2021 worth 422bn dollars, although federal health regulators in the United States recommended a pause in the inoculation of their vaccine, after cases of blood clots in women aged between 18 and 48.

By contrast, Pfizer, the second-largest drugmaker of its kind, was worth the US $ 217bn before the outbreak of the pandemic, which peaked at the end of last year of 235bn and fell to 206bn in January 2021, after the pharmaceutical company decided to sell part of its shares. This company's vaccine had some side effects and it also reportedly needs a third dose to be effective, all of which has not affected its value, quite the contrary, since it has reached its level from a year ago.

The third most important of these pharmaceutical companies, AstraZeneca, before the pandemic had 66bn dollars in stock market values which remains unchanged despite its vaccine being one of the most controversial of them all. The European Union (EU) suspended its application, as did the United States after suspicious deaths occurred in patients who received the drug. Denmark even halted its use and gave away every unused dose to poorer countries

Moderna accumulates an increase in the stock market up to US $ 60.7bn; BioNTech with US $ 27.6; Novavax US $ 8.6bn and CanSino US $ 6.9bn.