US authorizes first antiviral pill, by Pfizer, to treat Covid

The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday authorized the first antiviral pill that Americans will be able to take at home to ward off the worst effects of the coronavirus.

The pill, called Paxlovid, is made by Pfizer. It gets taken twice a day for five days in combination with a second medicine called ritonavir, a generic antiviral.

‘Today’s authorization introduces the first treatment for COVID-19 that is in the form of a pill that is taken orally — a major step forward in the fight against this global pandemic,’ said Dr Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. 

The long-awaited milestone in combatting the pandemic comes as US Covid-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths are on the rise, with health officials urging Americans to get boosted and tested as the Omicron variant spreads and the holidays get closer.

‘This authorization provides a new tool to combat COVID-19 at a crucial time in the pandemic as new variants emerge and promises to make antiviral treatment more accessible to patients who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19,’ said Cavazzoni.

The Pfizer treatment could help keep people infected with Covid-19 from getting so sick that they need to be hospitalized.

Over 2,200 were involved in a study, done by Pfizer, testing Paxlovid’s effectiveness in reducing the risk of hospitalization or death. The study found it to be 89% effective when taken within the first three days of symptoms. When taken within five days, the drug reduced the risk of hospitalization and death by 88%.

Paxlovid is also a faster, and cheaper, way to treat early Covid-19 infections compared to other approved IV or injections used to treat the virus.

A similar antiviral pill from Merck is also expected to soon be authorized, though Pfizer’s will likely be the preferred option due to its mild side effects and nearly 90% effectiveness.

Both pills are expected to be effective against the Omicron variant because they don’t target the spike protein where most of the variant’s worrisome mutations reside.

The FDA approved the pill for adults and children ages 12 and older with a positive Covid-19 test and early symptoms who also face high risk of hospitalization. That includes older people with high risk conditions.

The US government said it will buy enough Paxlovid to treat 10 million people. Pfizer says it’s on track to produce 80 million courses globally next year, under contracts with the UK, Australia and other nations.

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