So let's talk a bit about the synthesis of Paxlovid (PF-07321332), Pfizer's protease inhibitor drug for the coronavirus. As everyone will have seen, the US government just increased its order for this one by ten million courses of treatment, but that number is (1) not exactly huge on the absolute scale and (2) will have no immediate impact at all. That link from the New York Times says that about 350,000 courses of treatment are expected to be available to the government over the next two months, and this additional order will add about 35,000 this month and 50,000 next month. If these can reach at-risk patients they will surely help keep them out of the hospital, which is a good thing, but the need for the drug is both larger and more immediate than that.