Pfizer's Covid drug Paxlovid 89% effective against hospitalizations and deaths caused by coronavirus, is to be available from Friday February 4, 2022, in pharmacies, after being granted marketing approval from the European Medicines Agency. The first 10,000 doses have been delivered this February 1, France becoming the first EU country to provide Paxlovid in pharmacies. More deliveries are expected in the coming weeks.
Dedicated to symptomatic adults infected with Covid not needing oxygen therapy, but presenting a high risk of severe disease, Paxlovid can be prescribed by any doctor and be taken within 5 five days following the first symptoms. Note the drug will be produced in France in the Novasep laboratories in Mourenx, Pyrénées-Atlantiques.
As for this medicine, it involves a “protease inhibitor”, which is a molecule inhibiting an enzyme cutting peptide bonds of the proteins, preventing the virus from doing what it is programmed for. A genuine “custom antiviral” developed to directly aim at the “spine” of the virus and prevent it from developing in the nasal cavities, the mouth, and the lungs.
For the record, in September 2021, Pfizer announced they have started clinical trials in two of their locations – on in the United States, the other in Belgium – for a potential coronavirus medicine created as a pill to take as a prevention for 5 to 10 days. Called “PF 07321332”, this therapy has been given to over 2,600 volunteers aged 18+ as part of the clinical trial phases 2 and 3. This Friday November 5, 2021, Pfizer has unveiled the first results of their clinical trials and they are more than conclusive.
As a matter of fact, Pfizer announced the Covid pill is 89% effective to prevent hospitalization hazard and death. "The scheduled interim analysis showed an 89% reduction in risk of COVID-19-related hospitalization or death from any cause compared to placebo in patients treated within three days of symptom onset", the company stated. This past December 14, Pfizer already confirmed in a study their preveventive therapy, Paxlovid, is 89% effective against severe coronavirus.
“We have designed PF-07321332 as a potential oral therapy that could be prescribed at the first sign of infection, without requiring that patients are hospitalized or in critical care", said Mikael Dolsten, chief scientific officer and president, worldwide research, development and medical of Pfizer in a release. This Tuesday September 28, they explain that in the event of conclusive trials, "we think thie therapy could help stop the virus very early on - before it can widely replicate itself - potentially preventing symptomatic cases of the disease in those who have been exposed and by preventing the infection to start in others"
