EXPLAINER: Why Pfizer needs time to make COVID-19 treatment

By TOM MURPHY
AP Health Writer

Pfizer’s new COVID-19 treatment came with a catch when it debuted late last year: It can take months to make the tablets. Company leaders say they have since expanded production and expect big gains in the next several months. That could help if another wave of cases develops later this year. The drugmaker uses more than 20 different sites in over 10 countries to produce Paxlovid. Making the complex drug involves chemical reactions that need time to develop. Pfizer says it has reduced production time from nearly nine months to about seven.