The White House on Tuesday announced a number of initiatives aimed at increasing the use of Pfizer's antiviral drug Paxlovid, which is not widely used despite being readily available to treat Covid following initial shortages.
As part of his Covid-19 plans, President Joe Biden will make antiviral drugs more widely available.
The Biden Administration will allow tens of thousands of pharmacies to order drugs from the federal government in order to double the number of locations where oral antivirals are available.
The White House initiative focuses heavily on Pfizer's Paxlovid, which is mentioned explicitly by name, but it also covers molnupiravir, which was developed by Rideback Biotherapeutics.
The White House said that the drugs are currently available at 20,000 locations, with the figure expected to jump to more than 30,000 locations soon.
There are currently 2,200 sites where patients can get a Covid test, medical assessment and antiviral treatment in one place.
The oral antiviral treatments must be taken within the first five days of symptoms in order to be effective, and the Administration announced plans to build awareness about the safety and benefits.
The only oral antiviral drugs approved for Covid-19 in the US are Paxlovid and molnupiravir, which have shown to be capable of reducing hospitalizations and deaths by around 90% and 30%, respectively. They are an at- home treatment option designed to prevent people from getting seriously ill, a stark difference from most other treatments which are intended for severely ill patients or require treatment in a hospital setting. Despite initial supply issues having been overcome, health officials complain that the drugs are not being used. The US now has a Paxlovid supply, according to the White House.
The anti-covid pill is coming to all U.S. pharmacies.
Pfizer's Antiviral Pill Paxlovid is endorsed by the WHO, but it says benefits for low-risk groups.
Demand for Pfizer's COVID pills lags around the world.
Live updates on the coronaviruses.
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