The antiviral pill Pfizers is very effective in keeping people who have COVID-19 from getting seriously ill, according to a press release today. The pill, known as Paxlovid in clinical trials, reduced the risk of death and hospitalization by 89 percent in adults with severe COVID-19 symptoms. It was administered within three days of the symptoms appearing.
According to the company, it will submit its data to FDA for emergency use authorization as soon possible.
This anti-COVID-19 pill is now the second most effective. Merck Pharmaceuticals developed the first pill, which cut hospitalizations and deaths by half. Merck Pill was approved by the UK's health agency on Thursday. FDA advisory committee will discuss it on November 30th.
Pfizer's drug was tested in a study that involved 1,219 people who were positive for COVID-19. The participants had either mild or moderate symptoms and had at least one other medical condition that could put them at risk of developing severe COVID-19. Randomly, participants were assigned to either the placebo pill or the active drug. Three people were admitted to the hospital with the active drug, while none of them died. 27 people were admitted to hospital while seven others died in the placebo group. The press release containing the data did not include any publication in a scientific journal.
The Pfizer treatment stops the coronavirus making copies inside cells. The treatment consists of 30 pills that are taken over five days. Mercks works in a similar manner, and requires 40 pills over five days. Both are less expensive than monoclonal antibody treatments, which can make it more difficult to get serious illness. Mercks can be taken at home while infusions at a hospital are administered.
It is important to ensure that people have access to antiviral treatment like the Pfizer pill in the shortest time possible. People who aren't able or willing to travel to the doctor to receive a COVID-19 result within the first few days of feeling sick will likely not be able get the same benefits.
Even if someone becomes sick, medication is not a substitute for vaccines. Antiviral pills can be a powerful tool in fighting COVID-19. Scott Gottlieb, ex-FDA commissioner, said to CNN that an oral pill that inhibits viral replication and can prevent this virus from growing is a game changer.
