Pfizer’s Paxlovid is seen as the most potent therapy for Covid, says WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday endorsed the use of Pfizer Laboratories’ oral antiviral antiviral treatment for high-risk patients, after an analysis of test data by the UN agency showed that the therapy dramatically reduced the risk of hospitalization.

The recommendation comes as thousands of people die from Covid-19 every week, despite the global infection rate declining. Of the existing Covid-19 treatments, Pfizer’s Paxlovid is by far the most potent, the WHO said.

Other therapies include MSD’s rival drug molnupiravir, Gilead’s intravenous remdesivir, and antibody treatments.

A WHO analysis of two clinical trials of Paxlovid involving nearly 3,100 patients suggested that it reduced the risk of hospitalization by 85%. In high-risk patients — those with more than a 10% risk of hospitalization — Paxlovid use could lead to 84 fewer hospitalizations per 1,000 patients, the agency said.

“These therapies are not a substitute for vaccination. They just give us another treatment option for those infected patients who are most at risk,” said Janet Diaz, WHO clinical management leader, referring to patients with underlying chronic conditions, whether immunocompromised or not. vaccinated.

However, there are challenges that can limit the adoption of Paxlovid. As it needs to be taken in the early stages of the disease to be effective, access to rapid and accurate tests is imperative to identify patients.

It can also interact with many common medications, which complicates its use. In addition, Paxlovid has not been investigated for use in pregnant, lactating women or children.

These factors have caused the supply of Paxlovid to exceed demand in countries where it has been available for some time.

Pfizer has and continues to strike deals to sell the treatment in several countries, but pricing details generally remain confidential.

Earlier this year, the company said it expected Paxlovid to generate $22 billion in sales in 2022. The US drugmaker has agreed to sell up to 4 million treatments to Unicef. for Children) for use in 95 low-income countries, which comprise just over half of the world’s population.

That deal represents just over 3% of Pfizer’s projected output of 120 million treatments this year.

More than 30 generic drug makers have also been allowed to make cheaper versions of the drug to sell in the 95 countries, but those versions copied from quality-assured sources are unlikely to be ready anytime soon, the WHO said, noting that the lack of Price transparency could mean that low- and middle-income countries will be pushed to the back of the line, as happened with Covid vaccines.

Separately, the WHO also updated its recommendation on Gilead’s remdesivir, saying it should be used in mild or moderate Covid-19 patients at high risk of hospitalization.
Previously, it had recommended its use in all patients with Covid-19, regardless of the severity of the disease.

_{Translated by Luiz Roberto M. Gonçalves}