In a milestone in the fight against COVID-19, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the 'Pfizer pill' – or Paxlovid – the first-ever oral COVID-19 treatment to be given authorization for at-home use.
The drug isn't meant to act as a 'cure' or shield against COVID-19. Instead, it helps alleviate symptoms in people who have already been infected with the virus. A major benefit of Paxlovid is its abilitiy to significantly reduce the likelihood of hospitalization and death in COVID-19 patients.
Good timing.
IMAGE: Reuters
“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 Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.
“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.”
While previously authorized COVID-19 drugs are administered through an IV drip or injection, Paxlovid comes in pill form, making it a far easier and cheaper method to treat early COVID-19 infections.
And if clinical trials are of any indication, the Pfizer pill has minimal side effects for users, while also reducing hospitalization and death by a staggering 90 percent in patients most likely to get severe disease from COVID-19 infection.
“The efficacy is high, the side effects are low, and it’s oral. It checks all the boxes,” said Gregory Poland of the Mayo Clinic.
“You’re looking at a 90 percent decreased risk of hospitalization and death in a high-risk group – that’s stunning.”
IMAGE: Reuters / Nikkei Asia
The FDA authorized the pill for adults and children aged 12 and older who test positive for COVID-19, show early COVID-19 symptoms, and face the highest risk of hospitalization.
There are currently 180,000 treatment courses of the Pfizer pill available worldwide, with 60,000 to 70,000 courses allocated to the U.S. According to U.S. health officials, the pills take about nine months to manufacture but Pfizer plans to ramp up production speed in 2022.
The U.S. has already secured 10 million courses of the Pfizer pill. When it comes to the rest of the world, the pharmaceutical firm plans to produce 80 million courses in 2022 as part of contracts with the UK, Australia, and other countries.
Not the only new kid on the block.
IMAGE: Merck & Co. / The Associated Press (via NBC)
Merck's antiviral COVID-19 drug, Molnupiravir, is inching closer and closer to full FDA approval. However, experts believe people will still prefer Pfizer's offering, solely due to its higher potential to reduce hospitalization and death.
While Paxlovid reduces it by 90 percent, Molnupiravir only reaches a 30 percent reduction. Severe disease mitigation aside, however, both offerings have shown great levels of protection against COVID-19 variants like Delta and Omicron.
Lower-income nations won't have to worry about the pills' distribution either, since both Pfizer and Merck have agreed to share their pill formulas to increase reach and accessibility.
It's important to remember that these COVID-19 pills aren't an alternative to vaccines. They merely serve to bolster protection in people that have already been vaccinated but end up contracting COVID-19.
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