FDA authorizes Pfizer COVID antiviral pill for high-risk individuals

FDA authorizes Pfizer COVID antiviral pill for high-risk individuals

{The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday authorized Pfizer's antiviral pill for the treatment of individuals at high risk of severe illness from COVID-19.

Why it matters: At-home COVID-19 treatments, especially Pfizer's Paxlovid, are seen as possible game-changers for the pandemic. The emergency use authorization comes as the U.S. sees a surge in new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations largely driven by the Omicron variant.

Driving the news: Pfizer released new data last week confirming Paxlovid reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by 89% in high-risk adults, Axios' Tina Reed reports.

An interim analysis of a second study of the pill has so far shown a 70% reduction in hospitalization among standard-risk adults, Pfizer said.
Pfizer also believes the Paxlovid treatment will work well against the Omicron variant because of the way the drug works.
Details: The EUA is for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adults and some children 12 years and older "who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death," the FDA said.}

I hope this is a game changer for us. I wonder how it affects(side effects) IBD patients

Thank you Keith for posting this!

This is a game changer. I just fear that people will refuse their vaccine series and boosters now.

Clo

@pooydoop, here in the US it's not just the anti-vaxxers refusing the shots, there is a great deal of mistrust over these shots by people. Without breaking the forum rules, the political scene in our country has played a huge role in people not willing to get them, I will leave it at that.

I got an email from the FDA about Paxlovid. It is a two pill combination that has to be taken together for 5 days. A person must test positive for the virus & there is a 5 day window of when symptoms appeared & the positive test.

There are some issues with HIV patients & some with kidney issues. We need therapeutics to treat this virus.