FDA authorizes two antiviral pills to treat Covid-19

FDA authorizes two antiviral pills to treat Covid-19

 

The US Food and Drug Administration last week authorized two antiviral pills that people with Covid-19 can take at home, before they're sick enough to be hospitalized.   The first, Paxlovid, is made by Pfizer and administered as three pills given twice a day for five days. Pfizer said the treatment cut the risk of hospitalization or death by 89% if given to high-risk adults within a few days of their first symptoms. Data show Merck's antiviral pill, molnupiravir, cut the risk of hospitalization or death by 30% among high-risk adults. It's taken as four capsules every 12 hours for five days -- a total of 40 pills.   Both pills are for high-risk individuals, prescription-only, and should be taken within five days of symptoms onset. Paxlovid is authorized for those age 12 and older while molnupiravir is for those 18 and older.   In November, the Biden administration announced it would purchase 10 million Paxlovid treatment courses, and Merck has an agreement with the US government to supply 3.1 million courses of molnupiravir. The companies said delivery would begin quickly. But with cases surging and limited doses available initially, the treatments might not be easily accessible.   “As new variants of the virus continue to emerge, it is crucial to expand the country’s arsenal of COVID-19 therapies using emergency use authorization, while continuing to generate additional data on their safety and effectiveness,” the FDA said in a statement last week.