The new COVID-19 medication from the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer that was approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration last week may be risky to take with other medications, according to experts.
The antiviral pills promise protection for people at risk of severe disease from COVID-19. However, those who take the medication, or its counterpart from Merck, will need to be monitored by doctors and pharmacists to ensure they don't take them with medicines that could cause issues, NBC News reported.
Paxlovid, the drug from Pfizer, is to be used for mild to moderate COVID-19 in people as young as 12 who have underlying conditions that make them susceptible to hospitalization and death from the virus.
When it comes to Merck's antiviral pill, potential side effects have drawn concern from experts. Because of this, molnupiravir is only available for Adults and only in situations where other treatments are not accessible or "clinically appropriate, NBC News reported.
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One of the two drugs in Pfizer's antiviral cocktail could cause severe or life-threatening interactions with other medications that are commonly used, like statins, blood thinners, and some antidepressants.
Paxlovid is also not for people with severe kidney or liver disease, according to the FDA's recommendations.
The cocktail consists of two tablets of nirmatrelvir, an antiviral medication, and one table of ritonavir, a drug used as a boosting agent in HIV regimens.
Ritonavir suppresses a liver enzyme called CYP3A, known for metabolizing medications. In the cocktail, ritonavir slows the other medicine, nirmatrelvir, from breaking down, helping it remain at a therapeutic level for longer.
Experts believed this was crucial in driving paxlovid's effectiveness in clinical trials, NBC News reported.
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With the CYP3A enzyme being suppressed, any other medications that need to be broken down by it could reach toxic levels when boosted by the ritonavir component.
What makes this concern worse is that the drugs that pose a risk if used with paxlovid are widely prescribed to people at the most significant risk from COVID due to other health conditions.
Drugs that could pose a risk include blood thinners, anti-seizure medications, drugs for irregular heart rhythms, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, immunosuppressants, steroids, HIV treatments, and erectile dysfunction medications.
The FDA published a fact sheet about Pfizer's antiviral medication, and it listed medications that may interact harmfully with ritonavir.
