In . – 22.04.2022 10:02 (act. 22.04.2022 10:02)
WHO recommends Pfizer’s Paxlovid Covid pill for certain patients ©APA/dpa/Fabian Sommer
The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended the drug Paxlovid for patients who are not yet seriously ill but are at increased risk of hospitalization. It is already being used in Austria.
In its recommendation for the corona drug Paxlovid, the WHO expert advice refers to studies with nearly 3,100 patients. The risk of hospital admission was 85% lower in those treated with Pfizer’s Covid pill than in the group given a dummy drug, the WHO writes in a statement.
Corona drug Paxlovid has no alternative to vaccination
Pills from the US pharmaceutical company Pfizer are intended to inhibit the replication of the virus in the body. They contain the active ingredients nirmatrelvir and ritonavir. The drug has been conditionally approved in the EU since late January.
The drug is not an alternative to corona vaccination, emphasized WHO expert Janet Diaz. Vaccination is the most important way to prevent serious illness and reduce the risk of infection. Even mild infections can lead to long-term health problems.
WHO is concerned about fair distribution of corona drug Paxlovid
The WHO is concerned that, as with corona vaccines, rich countries will secure most of the production and that poorer countries will initially not have enough available. Pfizer aims to produce pills for 120 million patients this year. The company promised the UN children’s charity UNICEF to deliver pills to four million patients. The WHO asked Pfizer to be more transparent about production, bilateral contracts and pricing.
According to the WHO, Paxlovid should be taken within five days of the onset of symptoms. Whether it is still effective in critically ill patients is unclear from previous studies. The WHO does not recommend the drug for patients at low risk of severe disease because it does not bring benefits to them. Paxlovid also interacts with other medicines. Therefore, intake should be discussed with doctors in any case.
WHO recommendation Basis for worldwide approval
With this recommendation, the drug is included in the WHO list of tested drugs. For many countries that, unlike the EU or the US, do not have their own regulatory authority for medicines, this is the basis for approval without further clarification.
In addition to Paxlovid, other agents are already being used to protect against severe early-stage courses of Sars-CoV-2 infection. However, they usually have to be given as an infusion.
More about the corona pandemic in Austria