The treatment is called Paxlovid. If taken early enough it’s been shown to significantly reduce the risk of hospitalization in high-risk patients. Pfizer’s Mike McDermott said the company began to make Paxlovid at the Kalamazoo-area plant today. Going forward, Pfizer will build new facilities at its Portage complex so it can ramp up production.
The company says it expects the expansion to create about 250 jobs. Governor Gretchen Whitmer attended a press event announcing the news at the plant on Monday.
“With this investment in Kalamazoo, we’re shoring up our supply chain and showing the world that Michigan is the place to be for companies that want to do big things and need an incredible workforce to accomplish those things,” Whitmer said.
According to Pfizer, until this week, brand-name Paxlovid was only produced in Ireland.