December 14, 2021

Pfizer Says Covid-19 Pill Could Receive FDA Approval Before Year’s End

By Newsroom

Pfizer says its Covid-19 treatment tablets, Paxlovid, could be authorized for emergency use in the United States by the end of this year or early next year, pending the Food and Drug Administration’s regulatory timeline.

The pharmaceutical giant announced this morning that it has submitted promising new data to the FDA, which shows that the antiviral medicine will likely work against the Omicron variant.

It said the treatment reduces the risk of being hospitalized or dying by 89% when taken within three days of being diagnosed with COVID-19, and 88% when taken within five days of being diagnosed among high-risk, unvaccinated patients.

According to Pharmacy Technology, Paxlovid is a combination of Pfizer’s investigational antiviral PF-07321332 and a low dose of ritonavir, an antiretroviral medication traditionally used to treat HIV.

The treatment disrupts the replication of SARS-CoV-2 in the body by binding to the 3CL-like protease, an enzyme crucial to the virus’ function and reproduction.

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