Pfizer vaccine, pill forecasts miss estimates; shares fall 4%

Source: Reuters

Pfizer Inc's forecast for full-year sales of its COVID-19 vaccine and antiviral pill fell short of lofty Wall Street estimates on Tuesday, sending the drugmaker's shares down 4 percent before the bell.

Pfizer said it expects to post $54 billion in combined sales of both the products this year, with COVID-19 vaccine sales coming in at $32 billion and sales from Paxlovid, its oral antiviral to treat the disease, at $22 billion.

Analysts had forecast sales of $33.79 billion for the COVID-19 vaccine and $22.88 billion for Paxlovid, according to Refinitiv data.

The vaccine, developed with Germany's BioNTech and based on the mRNA technology that is also behind rival Moderna's shots, is used in more than 160 countries including the United States.

Pfizer aims to make more than 4 billion doses of the shot in 2022. That compares with last year's 3 billion doses.

Overall, Pfizer forecast 2022 sales of $98 billion to $102 billion, also below estimates of $105.48 billion