Pfizer said its experimental drug to treat COVID-19 at home appears to be successful if taken within the first several days of symptoms appearing.
The company on Tuesday said final data for the drug, Paxlovid, shows it "significantly reduced" the risk of hospitalization or death from the coronavirus by 89% if taken within three days of the first symptoms appearing. If the drug is taken within five days, those risks were cut by 88%.
"This news provides further corroboration that our oral antiviral candidate, if authorized or approved, could have a meaningful impact on the lives of many, as the data further support the efficacy of Paxlovid in reducing hospitalization and death and show a substantial decrease in viral load," Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said in a statement. "This underscores the treatment candidate's potential to save the lives of patients around the world."
Among 697 study participants who received the drug within the first three days, no deaths were reported and only five people were hospitalized. That's compared to 682 who received a placebo; 44 people were hospitalized, including nine who died.
Similar results were seen for participants who received the drug within the first five days of symptoms. Among 1,039 people who took Paxlovid, eight people were hospitalized and no deaths were reported. Among 1,046 people who took a placebo, 66 people were hospitalized, including 12 who died.
The study results also show, according to Pfizer, that adults taking Paxlovid had a 10-fold decrease in virus levels compared with those on a placebo. All study participants were unvaccinated.
Paxlovid combines two drugs, nirmatrelvir and ritonavir, given twice-daily for five days. Pfizer said the drug was developed to be prescribed at the first sign of infection or at first awareness of an exposure, potentially helping patients avoid severe illness. The drug could also be prescribed to a patient who lives with someone who contracts COVID-19 to prevent disease development.
Pfizer said the drug could also protect patients from highly transmissible variants like Omicron.
"Emerging variants of concern, like Omicron, have exacerbated the need for accessible treatment options for those who contract the virus, and we are confident that, if authorized or approved, this potential treatment could be a critical tool to help quell the pandemic," Bourla said.
Pfizer has submitted the data to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as part of an ongoing rolling submission for Emergency Use Authorization.
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