Pfizer COVID pill now emergency authorized by FDA. The shot didn't work, not take out pill

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Pfizer COVID pill now emergency authorized by FDA. The shot didn't work, not take out pill (archive.ph)

The "Pfizer pill" is actually a combination of two medications: the existing antiviral ritonavir with the newly developed drug nirmatrelvir (or PF-07321332). The two antivirals work together as a protease inhibitor to disrupt the replication of COVID-19 in infected patients. Many doctors and scientists hope that the Pfizer pill will change the course of the COVID-19 pandemic and save significant numbers of lives. However, the pill will not stop transmission COVID-19, and some are concerned that a new pill might actually hurt COVID-19 vaccination and mitigation efforts. Doctors note that any therapeutic pills should not replace vaccines as a first line of defense against COVID-19.

While COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective (((HAHAHAHA imagine believing that))) including against the newer omicron variant millions of Americans are still not vaccinated. According to a September report from the CDC, unvaccinated people are more than 10 times more likely to be hospitalized or die from the virus than those who are fully vaccinated. Paxlovid "could have a meaningful impact on the lives of many," Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said in a statement last week. "Emerging variants of concern, like omicron, have exacerbated the need for accessible treatment options for those who contract the virus ... We are confident that, if authorized or approved, this potential treatment could be a critical tool to help quell the pandemic."

The Paxlovid protocol requires taking two tablets of nirmatrelvir and one tablet of ritonavir, twice per day for five days. It promises to reduce the more severe symptoms of COVID-19 and will now be a new tool in the pandemic fight, along with the approved COVID vaccines from Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson.

"We have far more tools to fight this virus than we ever did just one year ago," Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said during a White House briefing last week.

Merck also has an antiviral drug recently authorized by the FDA, though it is nowhere near as effective as Paxlovid appears to be. Here's what we know about Pfizer's antiviral pill. We'll update this story as more details emerge. For more on COVID-19, check out the latest on vaccine mandates, keeping your vaccine card handy and this year's flu season. What is Pfizer's COVID-19 antiviral drug?

In the US, the three approved COVID vaccines can prevent infection. But for those already infected, antiviral drugs could reduce the odds of serious symptoms, hospitalization and death. Nirmatrelvir, marketed under the brand name Paxlovid, is designed to block the activity of the SARS-CoV-2-3CL protease, an enzyme that the coronavirus needs to replicate. In clinical trials, taken in combination with ritonavir, a drug used to treat HIV, Paxlovid reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by 89% when taken within three days of symptoms, Pfizer said. (The ritonavir allows the medication to remain active in the body longer at higher concentrations.) If the Paxlovid is approved, two 150mg tablets would be administered at the first sign of symptoms or a positive COVID-19 test result and continued over a five-day treatment course.

The pill has proven effective against COVID-19 variants of concern, including delta and the newer omicron strain, Pfizer said. During clinical trials, reported side effects between those taking Paxlovid and those taking a placebo were about the same, according to the pharmaceutical company.

The FDA gave emergency use authorization to Pfizer's Paxlovid on Wednesday for treating COVID-19. It is the first oral antiviral treatment authorized for fighting the coronavirus. Last week, Pfizer announced that Paxlovid reduces the risk of hospitalization or death by 89% if administered within three days of symptoms. Data also suggests that the pill will be effective against the new omicron variant. If given within five days, the pill still reduced the risk of severe reaction by 88%, up from an 85% efficacy rate reported in an interim analysis in November. The "Pfizer pill" is actually a combination of two medications: the existing antiviral ritonavir with the newly developed drug nirmatrelvir (or PF-07321332). The two antivirals work together as a protease inhibitor to disrupt the replication of COVID-19 in infected patients. Many doctors and scientists hope that the Pfizer pill will change the course of the COVID-19 pandemic and save significant numbers of lives. However, the pill will not stop transmission COVID-19, and some are concerned that a new pill might actually hurt COVID-19 vaccination and mitigation efforts. Doctors note that any therapeutic pills should not replace vaccines as a first line of defense against COVID-19. **While COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective** (((HAHAHAHA imagine believing that))) including against the newer omicron variant millions of Americans are still not vaccinated. According to a September report from the CDC, unvaccinated people are more than 10 times more likely to be hospitalized or die from the virus than those who are fully vaccinated. Paxlovid "could have a meaningful impact on the lives of many," Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said in a statement last week. "Emerging variants of concern, like omicron, have exacerbated the need for accessible treatment options for those who contract the virus ... We are confident that, if authorized or approved, this potential treatment could be a critical tool to help quell the pandemic." The Paxlovid protocol requires taking two tablets of nirmatrelvir and one tablet of ritonavir, twice per day for five days. It promises to reduce the more severe symptoms of COVID-19 and will now be a new tool in the pandemic fight, along with the approved COVID vaccines from Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson. "We have far more tools to fight this virus than we ever did just one year ago," Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said during a White House briefing last week. Merck also has an antiviral drug recently authorized by the FDA, though it is nowhere near as effective as Paxlovid appears to be. Here's what we know about Pfizer's antiviral pill. We'll update this story as more details emerge. For more on COVID-19, check out the latest on vaccine mandates, keeping your vaccine card handy and this year's flu season. What is Pfizer's COVID-19 antiviral drug? In the US, the three approved COVID vaccines can prevent infection. But for those already infected, antiviral drugs could reduce the odds of serious symptoms, hospitalization and death. Nirmatrelvir, marketed under the brand name Paxlovid, is designed to block the activity of the SARS-CoV-2-3CL protease, an enzyme that the coronavirus needs to replicate. In clinical trials, taken in combination with ritonavir, a drug used to treat HIV, Paxlovid reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by 89% when taken within three days of symptoms, Pfizer said. (The ritonavir allows the medication to remain active in the body longer at higher concentrations.) If the Paxlovid is approved, two 150mg tablets would be administered at the first sign of symptoms or a positive COVID-19 test result and continued over a five-day treatment course. The pill has proven effective against COVID-19 variants of concern, including delta and the newer omicron strain, Pfizer said. During clinical trials, reported side effects between those taking Paxlovid and those taking a placebo were about the same, according to the pharmaceutical company.

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