The FDA authorizes the first pill to treat Covid-19. Pfizer's Paxlovid is meant to be taken at home before people are sick enough to be hospitalized.
This is the first antiviral Covid-19 pill authorized for ill people to take at home, before they get sick enough to be hospitalized. High-risk individuals age 12 and older who weigh at least 88 pounds and have a positive SARS-CoV-2 test are eligible for this treatment and will need to have it prescribed by a doctor.The pill"should be initiated as soon as possible after diagnosis of Covid-19 and within five days of symptom onset," according to an FDA statement.
Separately, Merck has requested emergency use authorization for its antiviral pill, molnupiravir. It was narrowly recommended by FDA's advisers in a 13-10 vote at the end of November after data showed it cut the risk of hospitalization or death by 30% among high-risk adults. This was lower than an earlier analysis suggesting that number could be around 50%. The FDA has not announced whether it will authorize the treatment.
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