Pfizer's antiviral COVID-19 pill has the potential to change the course of the pandemic and could be a game changer for hospitals that are overwhelmed with infected patients, according to one leading health expert.
Paxlovid, the drug from Pfizer, dramatically cuts the risk of hospitalization from COVID when taken within a few days of infection, according to data from a clinical trial. While it doesn't prevent infection, Pfizer said the treatment can be taken by people as young as 12 who have underlying conditions that make them susceptible to hospitalization and death from the virus.
Pfizer's antiviral pill could potentially alter the impact of COVID-19, according to Dr. Daniel Simon, Chief Scientific Officer for the University Hospitals Health System.
"Just as Tamiflu is a game changer for individuals for flu, this should be the same," Simon told WKYC. "Paxlovid has been shown to reduce severe disease, hospitalization and death by 90%."
Paxlovid is administered as three tablets (two tablets of nirmatrelvir and one tablet of ritonavir) taken together orally twice daily for five days, for a total of 30 tablets. Nirmatrelvir inhibits a SARS-CoV-2 protein to stop the virus from replicating, while ritonavir slows down nirmatrelvir’s breakdown to help it remain in the body for a longer period at higher concentrations.
"It's exactly what we need," Simon said. "We are incredibly optimistic about the potential of Pfizer and Paxlovid to change the course of the pandemic."
Paxlovid received emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration at the end of December. It's the first pill for COVID-19 treatment.
The federal government on Monday doubled its purchase of Paxlovid from 10 million treatment courses to 20 million.
"In addition, we're working with Pfizer to accelerate the delivery of these pills, and we'll now have the first 10 million treatment cycles — courses — by the end of June instead of the end of September," White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients said during a press briefing.
The current seven-day daily average of cases is about 491,700 cases per day, an increase of about 98 percent from the previous week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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