Health Committee on March 8th, 2021

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

With respect, Mr. Pinnow, I have limited time. I just asked you if it contained that clause.

The United States released Pfizer's $1.95-billion vaccine contract with Operation Warp Speed last November. That document confirmed that the U.S. had secured 100 million vaccine doses at a price of $19.50 U.S. per dose.

I have two questions. How much is Canada paying per dose? If Pfizer permitted the U.S. government to release at least portions of its contract, why can't it release part of its contract with Canada?

[Cole Pinnow]

Mr. Chair, I'd remind the member that in early December he made a statement, at this committee, I believe, that said he was not interested in acquiring commercially sensitive information, and the prices of our contracts are indeed commercially sensitive. We have negotiated those prices country by country with the exception of the EU, which is all managed under one, and we have included the principles of equity to ensure access. We have a tiered pricing system that is relative to each country's income level, the amount of volume that they've committed to and the delivery schedule that they've asked for, so those—

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

With respect, Mr. Pinnow, you've allowed us to know the price per dose in the U.S. Is it not commercially sensitive to know that figure?

[Cole Pinnow]

Mr. Chair, I would remind the member that we have a different story for every country and so, as we're talking about Canada, that price remains confidential.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

With respect, the price is either commercially sensitive or it's not, Mr. Pinnow. You can't release it in one country and say it's not commercially sensitive to release the price per dose in the U.S. but it is commercially sensitive to not release the price in Canada. I don't understand that.

Let me move on, then. According to the The Washington Post, Israel was able to accelerate rollout in part by paying $50 U.S. per dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, nearly double the price paid by the EU. Did Canada pay a premium for any December deliveries of our vaccine or for any vaccines that we've secured to date?

[Cole Pinnow]

Mr. Chair, I'd like to remind the member that the U.S. situation is different than Canada's. Going back to his earlier question and comment, the U.S. has continuously supported innovation in the life sciences sector and, therefore, has a different reason to discuss and potentially disclose relative elements of the contract.

We would encourage Canada to consider adopting more favourable policies and positions that would foster innovation in the life sciences sector and the biopharmaceutical industry going forward to increase resilience.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

The question, Mr. Pinnow, was: Did you charge Canada a premium for receiving our doses in December?

[Cole Pinnow]

The answer is that prices remain confidential.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ron McKinnon]

Thank you, Mr. Davies.

We'll try to shoehorn in a fast second round, so instead of five-minute slots for the Liberals and Conservatives, we'll go to four-minute slots and two-minute slots for the Bloc and NDP.

We'll start the next round with Ms. Rempel Garner.

Please go ahead.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Thank you, Chair.

Mr. Pinnow, in a response to Mr. Fisher, you suggested that you created a pathway for delivery of the vaccine to Canada in December. Did that mean that there wasn't an initial delivery scheduled into the first contract for December?

[Cole Pinnow]

We were always anticipating a Q1 launch, assuming that Health Canada gave a favourable review of our dossier.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Okay, so we weren't supposed to get doses in December, and we had to renegotiate. Did we have to pay a premium to get those doses in December?

[Cole Pinnow]

As I responded earlier, prices are confidential, so we will not be—

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

That's interesting. I'm sure it will come out in the wash someday.

You also talked about the fact that you haven't missed a weekly delivery target, but there have been some weeks when we've received zero vaccines, so are we on a quarterly target or a weekly target?

[Cole Pinnow]

As I mentioned in our opening statements, around the world, including Canada, Pfizer has committed on a quarterly basis to what the delivery schedule will be.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

In your remarks, you've also talked about big batches over the next few quarters, but if we've gone to a four-month dosing timeline, could that quarterly delivery schedule impact delivery in a four-month dosing timeline?

[Cole Pinnow]

The volumes that are in our contract, which we have publicly disclosed and I'd be happy to reiterate now, are what determines our delivery schedule.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Have you given any advice to NACI on matching your delivery schedule to the dosing recommendations?

[Cole Pinnow]

As mentioned before, we have not been in touch with NACI.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Okay, I have two minutes left, and I'm an economist, not a virologist, so I'd like to go to Dr. Grandvaux.

What am I missing asking Mr. Pinnow?

[Dr. Nathalie Grandvaux]

I think the question you asked about the contact between NACI and the company is a good one. The match between the deliveries and the schedule of vaccination is an important one.

I don't think that at this stage Pfizer could be involved at another stage of the discussion. As it Monsieur Pinnow mentioned, this is the decision from other regulatory agencies and not for them at this point.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Mr. Pinnow, you had mentioned a very salient point in your comment to me. You said that the change in dosing and the conflicting information between regulatory agencies could lead to concern, confusion and, potentially, hesitancy.

Would you say that staying with one set of advice is the best way to prevent vaccine hesitancy in this regard, among other issues?

[Cole Pinnow]

It is Pfizer's belief that the product monograph, which has a 21-day schedule between doses, is the right approach.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Dr. Grandvaux, for my last question, are you concerned about potential vaccine-resistant variants occurring due to incomplete dosing?

[Dr. Nathalie Grandvaux]

Absolutely, yes. One of the current hypotheses is that some of the variants emerge in immunocompromised people because they don't have the full immunity. It would be the same with the vaccine.