Pfizer’s (NYSE: PFE) oral Covid treatment, Paxlovid, was granted emergency authorization by the Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday. This is the first approved antiviral Covid-19 pill for infected individuals to take home before they become sicker.
The medication, which could be available this upcoming weekend, is intended for people that have a greater chance of developing severe Covid-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is anticipated to eventually provide approval for the distribution of the treatment too.
The FDA authorized the pill for patients ages 12 and up that have mild to moderate Covid and are likely to become hospitalized or ultimately die. According to the agency, the medication should be prescribed immediately after diagnosis.
“Today’s authorization introduces the first treatment for COVID-19 that is in the form of a pill that is taken orally — a major step forward in the fight against this global pandemic,” Dr. Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a statement. “This authorization provides a new tool to combat COVID-19 at a crucial time in the pandemic as new variants emerge and promises to make antiviral treatment more accessible to patients who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19.”
Nevertheless, Paxlovid is not certified for pre-exposure or post-exposure as a means to prevent Covid-19. The treatment is not to be used as a substitute for Covid vaccinations or boosters, according to the FDA.
The Biden administration had previously announced that it would be purchasing 10 million treatment courses for a total of USD5.295 Billion.
President Biden referred to Paxlovid as a “potentially powerful tool in our fight against the virus, including the Omicron variant,” but stressed that getting vaccinated and receiving a booster shot remained “the most important tools we have to save lives.”
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Pfizer Receives FDA Approval for its Covid-19 Oral Treatment