Pfizer’s “life-saving” antiviral medicine Paxlovid, which has a nearly 90% success rate in preventing serious illness in susceptible persons when taken promptly after becoming infected with Covid-19, has been approved by UK regulators.
The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) determined that the oral medication is “safe and effective in decreasing the risk of hospitalisation and death in persons with mild to moderate Covid-19 infection who are at an elevated risk of developing severe disease.”
Paxlovid was most effective in the early stages of a Covid infection, according to the agency, and should be used within five days of a patient’s initial symptoms.
The permission is for individuals over the age of 18 who have at least one risk factor for serious illness, such as obesity or diabetes, or who are over the age of 60.
“We now have a further antiviral drug for the treatment of Covid-19 that may be taken by mouth rather than supplied intravenously,” said Dr June Raine, the MHRA’s chief executive.
Before Christmas, Pfizer announced that the UK government has agreed to buy 2.5 million courses of Paxlovid, after a previous purchase of 250,000 doses, subject to regulatory approval.
According to Pfizer, the medicine was over 90% successful in reducing hospitalizations and fatalities in high-risk patients, with recent evidence indicating that the tablet was also effective against the Omicron form.
Nirmatrelvir (PF-07321332) and ritonavir, the two components of Paxlovid, are taken combined twice a day for five days. PF-07321332 is a novel antiviral, although ritonavir, which increases the potency of PF-07321332 by slowing its breakdown in the liver, is already in use alongside HIV medicines.
However, because ritonavir can interfere with the liver’s ability to process other drugs, Paxlovid may not be recommended if patients are unable to stop taking their current medications.
Source:https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/31/uk-medicines-regulator-approves-pfizers-life-saving-covid-pill-paxlovid
