Nov 30th, 10:48pm
An expert panel of advisors to the Food and Drug Administration narrowly voted Tuesday to authorize the use of a new class of treatments that could work against many different types of coronaviruses.
The picture was taken in Poland on October 4, 2021. The photo was taken by Jakub Porzycki/Nur Photo.
The images are from the same source.
The advisory committee voted 13 to 10 in favor of allowing the pill, known as molnupiravir, to be used to treat patients who are at higher risk of becoming severely ill from Covid-19.
The oral medication can be taken at home as soon as Covid-19 symptoms occur, and was authorized for use in the U.K. earlier this month.
The drug reduced the risk of hospitalization and death by 50%, but new data released last week shows it reduced efficacy to 30%.
Results from a clinical trial show that the treatment works against the mu, delta and gamma variant.
The new omicron variant of the virus will be effective against, as it targets portions of the virus that do not contain the mutations.
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The FDA could approve the medication in a few days. The Biden Administration ordered enough courses of treatment for 3.1 million people, but first there could be limited supply. The full order of the pills will be delivered by February.
The key background.
Doctors will be able to provide treatment for Covid-19 outside of a hospital setting with the help of oral medications like molnupiravir. The U.K. was the first country to approve the pill, and medical experts said it could help relieve stress on the hospitals and providers. Sajid Javid, the country's health secretary, called the treatment a "gamechanger for the most vulnerable and the immunosuppressed" as patients can take the pills at home. Patients with mild to moderate Covid-19 symptoms can only be treated withonoclonal antibodies developed by Regeneron, Eli Lilly and Glaxosmithkline.
There is a structure called the Tangent.
The FDA may vote to recommend Pfizer's ritonavir in the next few weeks, according to the New York Times. Pfizer's medication was found to lower the risk of hospitalization or death in high-risk groups.
The number is big.
$2 billion. If the FDA approves the drug, the United States will spend a lot on courses.
The U.S. has a $1 billion deal for extra dose of the anti-viral covid pill.
The U.K. has authorized the first use of the Covid Pill.
