Several firms are developing so-called oral antivirals, which would imitate the medication Tamiflu does for influenza and prevent it from escalating to serious illness.
Pfizer announced Monday that it had launched a mid-to-late stage clinical study of a tablet to prevent Covid in those who have been exposed to the virus. Several firms are developing so-called oral antivirals, which would imitate the medication Tamiflu does for influenza and prevent it from escalating to serious illness. Mikael Dolsten, the company's chief scientific officer, said, "We think that combating the virus will necessitate effective therapies for those who have contracted or have been exposed to the virus, supplementing the impact that vaccinations have had."
Pfizer began developing the drug PF-07321332, in March 2020 and is currently evaluating it in conjunction with ritonavir, a repurposed HIV medication. The clinical trial will include 2,660 people enrolled at the first indications of Covid infection or when they become aware of their exposure. They will be given either PF-07321332 and ritonavir or a placebo twice a day for five or 10 days. The goal is to determine the safety and effectiveness of the medicines under investigation in avoiding SARS-CoV-2 infection and symptomatic illness by day 14.
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Other firms are studying current oral antivirals against Covid, but Pfizer's is the first created especially for the coronavirus. It's a "protease inhibitor," and it's been demonstrated in lab tests to clog the virus's reproduction mechanism. If it works in practice, it will most likely be helpful only in the early stages of infection. The virus has ceased chiefly reproducing when Covid develops to severe illness, and patients suffer from an overactive immune response.
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US President Joe Biden had a Covid-19 booster shot on Monday as he urged Americans across the political spectrum to be vaccinated or supplement with boosters if they are eligible. Biden took the Pfizer jab publicly, as he had done with his first and second dosages. It was the US President's third Pfizer dose, after the government's approval of booster doses for people over the age of 65. "You are qualified for the booster if you fall into one of these groups. I know it doesn't appear so, but I am above the age of 65 "In a White House statement, Biden urged everyone to finish their coronavirus vaccination injections.