Pfizer’s new oral drug, Paxlovid, is the first COVID-19 pill to receive authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Experts say this is a game-changer because people would be able to take the drug at home, possibly eliminating the need to visit a hospital to receive treatment.
The first COVID-19 pill to receive authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Under the emergency use authorization (EUA), Paxlovid, Pfizer’s new COVID-19 pill, will be available via prescription to people 12 and older with confirmed mild-to-moderate COVID-19 who are at high risk of developing a severe case of the disease. A severe case means a patient could become hospitalized, need intensive care, require a ventilator, or even die.
A patient should take the oral drug at the first sign of illness, decreasing their chance of becoming seriously ill with the disease. Pfizer says the drug may be able to reduce the burden on hospitals.
Who Is At High Risk for Severe COVID-19?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), conditions and factors that may place someone at high risk for severe COVID include, but are not limited to:
- Cancer
- Chronic kidney disease
- Chronic liver disease
- Chronic lung disease
- Dementia or other neurological conditions
- Diabetes
- Down syndrome
- Heart conditions
- HIV
- Immunocompromised state
- Mental health conditions
- Obesity
- Pregnancy
- Sickle cell disease
- Smoking
- Organ transplant recipient
- Stroke
- Substance abuse disorders
- Tuberculosis
But how will this drug fare against COVID-19 variants?
When developing vaccines, scientists are mindful of how well their vaccines will be able to protect the body against different viral variants. The SARS-CoV-2 virus has mutated to exhibit differences in the spike protein—the part of the virus which helps it latch onto healthy cells.
The oral drug deals with a different component of the virus’s life cycle. By inhibiting the protease, scientists think this antiviral treatment can stop the virus from replicating, regardless of the variation in its spike protein—including Omicron. Protease inhibitor drugs and COVID-19 vaccines, then, will likely support each other in the goal of minimizing how well the virus can infect the body.
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