On Tuesday, Pfizer submitted its request to the FDA for emergency authorization for a COVID-19 treatment pill, which has shown effectiveness in 89% of cases. If approved by the FDA, the COVID-19 pill could revolutionize the fight against the virus by allowing high-risk individuals infected with the virus to take an oral antiviral medication at home instead of going to the hospital. This would also help reduce the burden on hospital systems during the pandemic.
Pfizer's drug is called Paxlovid, which inhibits the activity of the enzyme required for the virus to replicate. In a clinical trial involving people aged 18 and older at high risk for severe COVID-19, the combination of Paxlovid and the drug ritonavir, used to treat HIV, reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by 89% when taken within three days of symptom onset, according to Pfizer.
The Biden administration is expected to announce a multi-billion dollar deal this week to purchase 10 million doses of Pfizer's pills, according to the Washington Post. Earlier on Tuesday, Pfizer announced that it would allow drug manufacturers to produce Paxlovid through a licensing agreement with a patent pool, a public health group supported by the United Nations.
These manufacturers will supply Pfizer's COVID-19 treatment to 95 middle- and low-income countries. Pfizer will waive the fees that would be charged for low-income countries, as well as other countries covered by the agreement, as long as the World Health Organization classifies the infection cases in those countries as a public health emergency of international concern.
