Pfizer COVID-19 Pills Show Promise, But Experts Warn Risk Of Harmful Reaction With Other Medications

[florida80]

12/31

The Food and Drug Administration recently approved two antiviral medications, one from Pfizer and the other from Merck, making them the first at-home treatments for COVID-19, which has been hailed as a game-changer in the fight against the pandemic.

However, experts told NBC News that doctors and pharmacists will need to keep a close eye on the pills.

While Pfizer's Paxlovid has been endorsed for use in children aged 12 and up who have underlying health conditions such as heart disease or diabetes, NBC reported that people taking other medications such as antidepressants, statins, and blood thinners should not take the antiviral cocktail as it could have fatal ramifications.

The pills are "very promising," Andrew Pekosz, a professor of microbiology and immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health said.

Paxlovid was found to be 89% percent effective when given within the first three days of symptoms and 88% effective when taken within the first five days for those regarded at high risk of serious illness.

The Associated Press also reported that Pfizer's drug is not advised for people who have severe renal or liver problems. It may also not be the ideal option for certain people because it may interact with other medications they are taking. Antiviral medicines are not authorized for patients hospitalized with COVID-19 since treatment choices are to be used as soon as a person feels symptoms and has mild or moderate COVID-19.

The FDA has also produced a list of drugs that should not be used in combination with Paxlovid.

Pfizer estimates that 180,000 courses of the medication will be accessible by the end of 2021, with 30 million in the first half of 2022 and 80 million by the end of next year.

Meanwhile, the Merck therapy is only available to adults because it may interfere with children's bone and cartilage formation. It's also not advised for pregnant women, as animal studies have shown that it may have negative effects on the fetus. Experts advise men who desire to start a family to wait 90 days after therapy.

Despite the risks of using Paxlovid alongside other prescription medications, scientists are optimistic about the drug's potential.

Meanwhile, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that remdesivir, a three-day antiviral, is highly successful at averting hospitalization and mortality if given early in the course of sickness.

The U.S is also purchasing more sotrovimab, a monoclonal antibody produced by GlaxoSmithKline and Vir Biotechnology that works against the Omicron variant. The last shipment of sotrovimab was recently sent, but the U.S. is ordering 1 million more doses, with 300,000 available in January.