Pfizer stated on Friday that its Covid-19 treatment pill was shown to be very successful at preventing severe disease in at-risk persons who took the drug immediately after exhibiting symptoms in a critical clinical study, making it the second antiviral pill to show efficacy against Covid.
The medicine looks to be more effective than a Merck product that is currently pending FDA approval. When taken within three days after the onset of symptoms, Pfizer’s pill, which will be marketed as Paxlovid, reduced the chance of hospitalization or death by 89 percent.
Pfizer CEO Annaliesa Anderson, who headed the drug’s research, stated, “The results are truly beyond our wildest aspirations.” Paxlovid “can have a major influence on helping all of our lives get back to normal and witnessing the end of the pandemic,” she said.
The Pfizer treatment might be accessible in the coming months, though initial supplies are expected to be restricted. Both the Pfizer and Merck pills are designed for individuals who are considered high-risk, such as those over the age of 60 or those who have disorders like obesity that render them more vulnerable to Covid’s severe side effects.