Pfizer’s Paxlovid, an antiviral drug used to treat COVID-19, will currently be available for free. Despite being fully approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the US government will continue to distribute it for free.
On Thursday, Pfizer, the pharmaceutical company behind the first oral antiviral drug for COVID-19, issue a statement Its availability follows news that it is fully approved for the treatment of COVID-19 in adults.
“At this time, the U.S. government will continue to oversee the distribution of Paxlovid, and Paxlovid-eligible U.S. residents will continue to receive the drug at no cost,” Pfizer said.
The treatment is a combination of nimatravir and ritonavir tablets given orally for mild to moderate COVID-19 infection and in patients at high risk of severe illness, hospitalization or death.
Even before it was fully approved, Paxlovid was already available for use in adults and adolescents, but only under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). Now that it is fully approved for use in adults, more people can use it while receiving treatment for COVID-19.
“Today’s approval demonstrates that Paxlovid has met the agency’s stringent safety and efficacy standards and that it remains an important treatment option for people at high risk of developing severe COVID-19, including those with pre-existing immunity,” said Patrizia Cavazzoni said MD, director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.
Children ages 12 to 17 can still be treated with Paxlovid, but they should be eligible under the existing EUA. Pfizer said it continues to collect scientific data from ongoing clinical trials involving children, so the drug could gain full approval for adolescents at a future date.
While the Biden administration will continue to manage the distribution of free Paxlovid, cbs news Saying this setup will only last at least a few months. Patients will quickly be asked to pay for the drug if it is not covered by their insurance.
Free courses of Pfizer’s Paxlovid treatment for COVID-19 will be offered only while supplies last. The government has paid for them. As a result, federal officials have previously said that the drug’s approval won’t affect its free distribution, at least not yet.
Outside the United States, Paxlovid has been approved or authorized for conditional or emergency use in the fight against COVID-19 in 69 other countries around the world.
Published by Medicaldaily.com