NEW YORK, Feb 8 (AFP) - Pfizer forecast more than US$50 billion in 2022 sales for its COVID-19 vaccine and therapeutic on Tuesday (Feb 8) as the pharmaceutical giant reported a more than doubling of annual profits on strong sales of its innoculation.

Pfizer, whose vaccinee developed with German company BioNTech was the first approved to counter the deadly virus, sees slightly lower 2022 revenues for the vaccine compared with the just-finished year, but a big infusion of revenues from Paxlovid, the company's pill for COVID-19.

Chief Executive Albert Bourla described 2021 as a "watershed year" for Pfizer, adding that the company's efforts in the pandemic "have fundamentally changed our company forever."

Still, shares fell Tuesday following the results, which lagged estimates in terms of fourth-quarter revenues.

Besides vaccines, sales were mixed across Pfizer's other divisions. Revenues dipped for internal medicine and inflammation and immunology, but rose for oncology, hospitals and rare disease.

Analysts have also projected higher 2022 profits compared with the company's forecasts.