Pfizer’s new Antiviral Pill is said to cut Risk of Severe COVID-19 by 89%. Check it out!
Pfizer Inc recently conducted a trial of experimental antiviral pill for COVID-19. The trials were stopped early after the realization of stunning results as the drug was able to cut the chances of hospitalization or death for adults at risk of Coronavirus by 89%.
The results are far ahead compared to those seen with Merck & Co Inc’s pill, Molnupiravir released last month for the purpose of halving the likelihood of dying or getting hospitalized in COVID-19.
Pfizer stated that it has planned to submit the interim trial results for its pill, given with an older antiviral called ritonavir. It will be submitted to US Food and Drug Administration(FDA) for emergency use purpose before the US Thanksgiving holiday. The combination treatment consists of 3 pills is called Paxlovid.
Results prove that only 0.8% of people given Pfizer’s drug within three days of symptoms were hospitalized and none died by 28 days even after treatment. There was only 7% hospitalization rate for placebo patients. Deaths were just 7 in the placebo group. Results were similar for patients treated within five days of symptoms. Bourla stated that tge pill works out to being 85% effective.
Antivirals should be taken as soon as possible once the symptoms occur so that the infection does not cause much problem.
“This means that we have time to treat people and really provide a benefit from a public health perspective,” Annaliesa Anderson, head of the Pfizer program stated.
The company did not stated much about the side effects but they occurred in about 20% of both treatment and placebo patients. Nausea and diarrhea are the possible side effects.
Bourla stated, “These data suggest that our oral antiviral candidate, if approved by regulatory authorities, has the potential to save patients’ lives, reduce the severity of COVID-19 infections, and eliminate up to nine out of ten hospitalizations.”
CEO Bourla also stated, “We are clearly considering, to make sure that we will have enough doses as soon as possible and possible and also equitable access to all, so all options are on the table.” It is expected to produce about 180,000 packs before the end of 2021 and about 50 million packs in next year.
Now, Pfizer is trying to figure out whether the pill can be taken by people without any serious symptoms or by people exposed to the virus.
