WHO approves new pill from Pfizer.
Pfizer entered the public consciousness when it successfully developed a vaccine to combat COVID-19 two years ago.
In addition to producing vaccines, Pfizer also manufactures antiviral treatments used as reactive treatments for COVID-19.
Last week the World Health Organization (WHO) took the decision to approve the use of their antiviral Paxlovid.
Prior to WHO approval, Paxlovid was shown to be effective in dramatically reducing the rate and risk of hospitalization.
The fewer people in the hospital with coronavirus, the more effectively those hospitals can treat patients with other life-threatening illnesses.
The data showed that Pfizer antiviral reduces the risk of hospitalization by 85 percent. Meanwhile, in high-risk patients, defined as those with a baseline risk of 10 percent hospitalization, it was estimated that Paxlovid could lead to 84 fewer hospitalizations per month.
WHO Director-General Janet Diaz commented on the decision to approve Paxlovid: “These therapies are not a substitute for vaccination. “They simply give us another treatment option for those patients who become infected and are at higher risk,” she added.
However, there are warnings about using Paxlovid. In order for the medication to be as effective as possible, it must be administered in the early stages of COVID-19.
Furthermore, it has also been found to interact with other medications present in the patient’s body. When two drugs are mixed in this environment, they can cause unsafe reactions and side effects.
In addition to the risk this poses, the medication has not yet been tested in the full range of patients such as children, pregnant women and breastfeeding women.