Paxlovid as an Effective Drug Approved by FDA for COVID-19
It is interesting that Pfizer Inc. reported that paxlovid (PF-07321332;
ritonavir), an oral antiviral drug, has been shown to drastically lower
hospital admissions, which account for 89% of covid-19 patients,
particularly those who are at high risk of developing serious disease.
Additionally, following randomization, patients receiving paxlovid
treatment were admitted to the hospital up until day 28; among those who
received treatment after the onset of symptoms throughout a three-day
period, there were no fatalities. The SARS-CoV-2-3 CL protease, required
for coronavirus replication, is inhibited by the medication PF-07321332
(paxlovid; ritonavir). During a stage known as proteolysis, Paxlovid
(PF-07321332; ritonavir) can also halt viral replication before viral
RNA replication. According to
www.pfizer.com/news/press-release/press-release-detail/pfizers-novel-covid-19-oral-antiviral-treatment-candidate,
Pfizer Inc. now intends to submit the data as soon as feasible to the
U.S. FDA as part of its ongoing rolling submission (83, 84).
According to a large new study (85), those who took the antiviral
medication Paxlovid shortly after contracting the coronavirus were less
likely to continue to experience long-lasting COVID-19 months later. The
results imply that Paxlovid not only lowers the chance of being
hospitalized or dying from a coronavirus infection, but it also lowers
the likelihood of long-term symptoms for those who are medically
eligible for the antiviral, such as older adults or people with specific
health issues. The results are extremely provocative and point to the
urgent need for additional research on antiviral medicines and their
impact on extended COVID-19. It was also found that the treatment with
Paxlovid within 5 days of a positive SARS-CoV-2 test was associated with
a lower risk of PASC regardless of vaccination status and history of
prior infection in individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection who had at
least one risk factor for progression to severe COVID-19 infection.