United States Health authorities on Wednesday approved first pill for the treatment of COVID-19.
Gatekeepers News reports that the US health regulators have approved a Pfizer drug that Americans can take at home to treat COVID-19 infection.
The Food and Drug Administration issued emergency authorization for Pfizer’s Paxlovid, a pill that is available by prescription only and should be initiated as soon as possible after a diagnosis of COVID-19 and within five days of symptom onset.
“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 in a statement.
“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.”
The drug, Paxlovid, is reportedly a faster and cheaper way to treat early COVID-19 infections, though initial supplies will be extremely limited.
“The efficacy is high, the side effects are low and it’s oral. It checks all the boxes,” said Dr. Gregory Poland of the Mayo Clinic. “You’re looking at a 90% decreased risk of hospitalization and death in a high-risk group — that’s stunning.”
The FDA authorized Pfizer’s drug for adults and children ages 12 and older with a positive COVID-19 test and early symptoms who face the highest risks of hospitalization. That includes older people and those with conditions like obesity and heart disease. Children eligible for the drug must weigh at least 88 pounds.
Meanwhile, an antiviral pill from Merck also is expected to soon win authorization.
The pills from both Pfizer and Merck are expected to be effective against omicron because they don’t target the spike protein where most of the variant’s worrisome mutations reside.
