The company reported the pill significantly reduced the risk of hospitalization and death for people with COVID-19. Pfizer has asked the FDA for emergency use authorization to release the drug. Drugmaker Pfizer announced that its new antiviral pill, PaxlovidTrusted Source, reduced the risk of hospitalization due to severe COVID-19 by 89 percent within 3 days of symptom onset. Pfizer confirmed that these findings replicate the results of a smaller-scale trial the company announced last month.
Pfizer shared its data with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as part of an ongoing rolling submission for emergency use authorization (EUA), according to a recent press release. Trial included over 2,200 people at risk of severe disease he Pfizer study involved more than 2,200 people with a high risk of developing severe COVID-19. Researchers found Paxlovid significantly reduced the risk of hospitalization or death compared with placebo when it was taken within 3 days of initial symptoms. Even when given within 5 days, the drug still reduced the risk of hospitalization and death by 88 percent. “The anticipated approval of Paxlovid as another weapon to fight COVID-19 is welcome news, especially with a recent surge in cases and hospitalizations in many regions of the U.S., including the Northeast and Midwest,” Robert Glatter, MD, emergency physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, told Healthline.
According to Pfizer data, the drug is extremely effective at reducing viral load (amount of virus in the body). The findings suggest a 10-fold reduction compared with a placebo group.
According to Pfizer, Paxlovid is a protease inhibitor intended to stop the novel coronavirus taking hold in our bodies. Protease inhibitors are a drug type that can prevent viruses from replicating within cells in the human body, making them less able to spread and cause severe disease. “Paxlovid is a combination of a protease inhibitor, nirmatrelvir, along with ritonavir, [which is] a drug which helps slow metabolism of the protease inhibitor so it remains in the body for longer periods of time at increased concentrations,” explained Glatter.
On Nov. 18, the Biden administration announced plans to secure 10 million treatment courses of Paxlovid. “This promising treatment could help accelerate our path out of this pandemic by offering another life-saving tool for people who get sick with COVID-19,” Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement.
