Up to 88% reduce the risk of hospitalization or death of two new antiviral drugs against Covid-19, which have been approved for emergency administration by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and within 15 days are expected to be approved by the European Drugs Organization (Coreper), so they will be available in our country. These are Pfizer paxlovid and Merck molnupiravir, which are in pill form, which makes them easier to take. They are suitable for patients belonging to high risk groups.
The above were highlighted during the online event, on “Omicron mutation and vaccines: Recent data”, organized yesterday by the Pharmaceutical Association of Thessaloniki.
“Paxlovid is indicated for patients over 12 years of age who are at high risk for severe COVID-19 disease and who are detected in the first five days of infection by PCR test. It is a combination of two drugs, one of which (nirmatrelvir) inhibits the multiplication of the virus and the other (ritonavir) prolongs the action of the drug in the body, slowing down the metabolism “, explained the associate professor of Pharmacology and Clinical Medicine. George Papazisis.
At the same time, he stated that according to the results of the clinical study conducted for the approval of the drug and in which 1219 people participated, paxlovid reduces the risk of hospitalization or death by 88% in the first five days after the onset of symptoms of Covid-19 .
“It is recommended to give six pills a day – three in the morning and three in the evening – for a total of 5 days. The drug is not administered prophylactically, while the duration of its reception should not exceed five days. It is contraindicated for patients who need treatment or receive statins, while the most common side effects are dyslexia, diarrhea, myalgias and hypertension. In addition, it should not be taken during pregnancy, because there are no relevant data on its safety “, stressed Mr. Papazisis.
As for the drug molnupiravir, he explained that it is suitable for patients over 18 years of age and its action is that it creates a new inactive mutation in the body, which makes it impossible for the coronavirus to multiply.
“It is recommended to give eight pills a day – four in the morning and four in the evening – for a total of five days. According to the results of the clinical study conducted for the approval of the drug and in which 1433 people participated, the rate of reduction of the risk of hospitalization or death in the first five days after the onset of symptoms of Covid-19 reaches 30% -40% “, Said Mr. Papazisis.
At the same time she pointed out that it should not be taken during pregnancy because it can cause possible fetal toxicity. Its main side effects are diarrhea, nausea and dizziness.
The vaccines
Speaking about the vaccines against Covid-19, Mr. Papazisis stressed that the third dose of the vaccine is absolutely necessary and its value is indisputable. This is because, as proved by the study conducted at the hospital “G. Gennimatas ”of Thessaloniki, one month after the booster dose with mRNA vaccine, the antibody titers multiply up to 30 times and are statistically significantly higher compared to the completion of the second dose of vaccine. In addition, those who have been given all three doses of the vaccine are 90% less likely to get seriously ill with Omicron, while those who are given two doses of the vaccine are 65% less likely to get it.
The Omicron mutation
Pharmacist Lefteris Teperikidis presented the data so far from the total of 303 available scientific studies worldwide on the Omicron mutation and its characteristics.
“The conclusions are that the Omicron mutation affects younger ages, 36-40 years, is more contagious than Delta, with milder symptoms, leading to fewer hospital visits, reduced hospitalizations and fewer deaths “, pointed out Mr. Teperikidis.
However, available vaccines appear to have reduced efficacy against Omicron mutation. This means that Omicron can escape immune antibodies whether they have been produced by active disease or by vaccination.
According to Mr. Teperikidis, the reduced effectiveness of vaccines does not mean that there is no protection. A vaccine that provides 70% or 80% protection is still effective.
Finally, he stressed the need for a third dose for the general population, noting that this protects us to the maximum extent, but also pushes the Delta mutation to extinction.
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