GENEVA: The World Health Organization said on Friday it is “strongly recommended”. pfizercovid-19 antiviral pill paxlovid For patients with mild forms of the disease who were still at high risk of hospitalization.
However, the UN agency warned that it was “extremely concerned” that the disparity in access seen with COVID vaccines would again “push low- and middle-income countries to the end of the queue”.
WHO experts said in the BMJ medical journal that US pharma giant Pfizer’s combination of nirmaltravir and ritonavir was a “better option” of treatment for people who are asymptomatic, elderly or immunocompromised with Covid.
For the same patients, the WHO also made a “conditional (weak) recommendation” of antiviral medication. remdesivir Made by American biotech firm Gilead – which it had previously recommended against.
WHO recommended paxlovid On remdesivir, as well as Merck’s mollupiravir pill and monoclonal antibodies.
WHO experts said Pfizer’s oral treatment “prevents hospitalization compared to available options, has less concern with respect to harm than mollupiravir, and is easier to administer than intravenous remdesivir and antibodies.”
The new recommendation was based on findings from two trials of nearly 3,100 patients that showed paxlovid reduced the risk of hospitalization by 85 percent.
The trials suggested “no significant difference in mortality” and “little or no risk of adverse effects due to drug discontinuation”.
The recommendation applies to people over the age of 18, but not to pregnant or lactating women.
This also does not apply to patients at low risk of complications from the disease, as the benefit would be minimal.
WHO experts also declined to give an opinion for critically ill patients due to a paucity of data.
WHO stressed the limitations of such antiviral treatments.
“The drug can only be given if the disease is in its early stages,” he said.
This means patients must test positive quickly and be given the pill by a doctor – all of which could pose a hurdle for low- and middle-income countries, the WHO said.
Yet the Covid tablets have been seen as a potentially big step in ending the pandemic as they can be taken at home rather than in the hospital.
Patients should start taking their Paxlovid tablets within five days of the onset of symptoms – this course lasts for five days.
Remdesivir can be taken within seven days after symptoms appear, but is administered intravenously over three days.
WHO calls on Pfizer to “make its pricing and deals more transparent” for Paxlovid.
Lisa Heidman, WHO’s senior adviser on access to drugs, said radio station NPR reported a full course of Paxlovid cost $530 in the United States. Another source unconfirmed by the WHO gave the price at $250 in an upper-middle income country.
Meanwhile, remdesivir costs $520, Heidman said, but generic versions made by companies in India sell for $53-$64.
There is also a question mark over whether the virus can cause resistance to these treatments.
But earlier this month Pfizer CEO Albert Boerla predicted a bright future for treatments like Paxlovid as people grow tired of receiving further booster vaccinations.
After coming under criticism for prioritizing wealthier countries with its vaccine, Pfizer has agreed to allow some generic drugmakers around the world to make a cheaper version of Paxlovid as part of a UN-backed plan.
But on Friday the WHO “strongly recommended” that Pfizer let more generic manufacturers produce the drug and “make it available faster at cheaper prices”.
However, the UN agency warned that it was “extremely concerned” that the disparity in access seen with COVID vaccines would again “push low- and middle-income countries to the end of the queue”.
WHO experts said in the BMJ medical journal that US pharma giant Pfizer’s combination of nirmaltravir and ritonavir was a “better option” of treatment for people who are asymptomatic, elderly or immunocompromised with Covid.
For the same patients, the WHO also made a “conditional (weak) recommendation” of antiviral medication. remdesivir Made by American biotech firm Gilead – which it had previously recommended against.
WHO recommended paxlovid On remdesivir, as well as Merck’s mollupiravir pill and monoclonal antibodies.
WHO experts said Pfizer’s oral treatment “prevents hospitalization compared to available options, has less concern with respect to harm than mollupiravir, and is easier to administer than intravenous remdesivir and antibodies.”
The new recommendation was based on findings from two trials of nearly 3,100 patients that showed paxlovid reduced the risk of hospitalization by 85 percent.
The trials suggested “no significant difference in mortality” and “little or no risk of adverse effects due to drug discontinuation”.
The recommendation applies to people over the age of 18, but not to pregnant or lactating women.
This also does not apply to patients at low risk of complications from the disease, as the benefit would be minimal.
WHO experts also declined to give an opinion for critically ill patients due to a paucity of data.
WHO stressed the limitations of such antiviral treatments.
“The drug can only be given if the disease is in its early stages,” he said.
This means patients must test positive quickly and be given the pill by a doctor – all of which could pose a hurdle for low- and middle-income countries, the WHO said.
Yet the Covid tablets have been seen as a potentially big step in ending the pandemic as they can be taken at home rather than in the hospital.
Patients should start taking their Paxlovid tablets within five days of the onset of symptoms – this course lasts for five days.
Remdesivir can be taken within seven days after symptoms appear, but is administered intravenously over three days.
WHO calls on Pfizer to “make its pricing and deals more transparent” for Paxlovid.
Lisa Heidman, WHO’s senior adviser on access to drugs, said radio station NPR reported a full course of Paxlovid cost $530 in the United States. Another source unconfirmed by the WHO gave the price at $250 in an upper-middle income country.
Meanwhile, remdesivir costs $520, Heidman said, but generic versions made by companies in India sell for $53-$64.
There is also a question mark over whether the virus can cause resistance to these treatments.
But earlier this month Pfizer CEO Albert Boerla predicted a bright future for treatments like Paxlovid as people grow tired of receiving further booster vaccinations.
After coming under criticism for prioritizing wealthier countries with its vaccine, Pfizer has agreed to allow some generic drugmakers around the world to make a cheaper version of Paxlovid as part of a UN-backed plan.
But on Friday the WHO “strongly recommended” that Pfizer let more generic manufacturers produce the drug and “make it available faster at cheaper prices”.