EMA recommends Paxlovid, the first oral antiviral against covid in the EU

The drug Paxlovid, from the company Pfizer, will serve “adults who do not need supplemental oxygen and who are at greater risk of worsening the disease”, explained the European Medicines Agency.EMA) is a statement.

The medicine contains two active ingredients, PF-07321332 and ritonavir, which are administered in two different tablets to be taken once every 24 hours for five days.

EMA had already licensed Paxlovid for emergency cases, by individual decision of national authorities.

The first active ingredient reduces the ability of the virus to multiply in the body, while the second prolongs the action of PF-07321332, that is, it allows it to remain in the body for longer.

To reach its conclusion, the EMA conducted a study with two groups, one that received Paxlovid and the other that received placebo. During the following month, 0.8% (8 of 1,039) of patients who received Paxlovid were hospitalized for more than 24 hours, compared with 6.3% (66 of 1,046) of those who took placebo. There were no deaths in Pfizer’s antiviral group, while nine deaths occurred in the second.

“Paxlovid is the first oral antiviral for home use in our portfolio and has the potential to make a real difference for people at high risk of progression to severe Covid,” the European Commissioner for Health said in a statement. Stella Kyriakides, after drug approval.

EMA had already licensed Paxlovid to emergency cases, by individual decision of the national authorities. Spain It purchased 344,000 doses of Paxlovid bilaterally, in addition to those corresponding to the centralized purchase made by the EU.

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Sixth drug against SARS-CoV-2

Pfizer’s drug is sixth against SARS-CoV-2 authorized in the European Union (anakinra, regdanvimab, tocilizumab, casirivimab/imdevimab, remdesivir and sotrovimab), whose services analyze other medicines against covid-19 (ixagevimab/cilgavimab) and two others in the initial phase against one immediate authorization (molnupiravir and baricitinib).

“We are making good progress on our second line of defense: promising therapies that can make a real contribution to mitigating the impact of covid”, added the Health Commissioner.

Kyriakides added that the Commission continues to work with Member States to strengthen the therapeutic response against the coronavirus, including the identification of new vaccines after the approval of six prophylactics in the EU (Biontech-Pfizer, Moderna, Astrazeneca, Johnson & Johnson and Novavax). ). , and another four in the initial phases of analysis (Sputnik V, Sinovac, Sanofi and Valneva).

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