The latest Pfizer analysis shows that the Paxlovid antiviral pill reduces hospitalization and deaths for people at increased risk for serious illness.
The Doctors of the Therapeutic Clinic of the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Theodora Psaltopoulou, Panos Malandrakis, Giannis Danasis and Thanos Dimopoulos (Rector of EKPA) present the latest data.
The latest announcement states that the drug’s effectiveness in reducing morbidity and death reached 90% when given three to five days after the onset of symptoms, while the first data show an effectiveness against the Omicron strain. The emergence of the new strain has increased the need for treatment options for those who come in contact with the virus, and the approval of this drug will make it an additional weapon in the quiver against the pandemic, says A. Burla, CEO of Pfizer.
Two pill antivirals from Pfizer and Merck have been submitted to the FDA for approval, and a formal decision is expected by the end of the year.
The first data on the Omicron strain show its rapid prevalence in South Africa, and in several European countries, while it has already been detected in 31 US states, with some initial data showing possible resistance of the strain to monoclonal antibodies that have already been approved. Regeneron, whose monoclonal antibody has been approved, is already reporting possible reduced efficacy against the new Omicron strain, while a new generation of drugs specifically targeted at the new strain is already being prepared.
Another report states that the Omicron strain escapes the immunity provided by the antibodies of Regeneron, Eli Lilly and AstraZeneca companies, which have received FDA approval for people whose immune system does not respond to the vaccine.
In another Pfizer announcement, the drug Paxlovid, while not reducing symptoms in those at low risk for severe COVID-19, reduced viral load levels and reduced the already low risk of hospitalization and death in this subgroup, including those were vaccinated and had at least one risk factor for serious illness.
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