Pfizer said Tuesday that its experimental COVID-19 pill appears effective against the omicron variant. The drug reduces combined hospitalizations and deaths by about 89% among high-risk adults when taken shortly after initial COVID-19 symptoms.
FILE - The Pfizer logo is displayed at the company's headquarters, Feb. 5, 2021, in New York. Pfizer is spending $6.7 billion to buy a drugmaker with no products on the market and a focus on developing treatments for inflammatory conditions like Chrohn’s disease. The pharmaceutical giant said Monday, Dec. 13, 2021 it will pay $100 in cash for each share of Arena Pharmaceuticals in a deal already approved by the boards of both companies.
The updates come as COVID-19 cases, deaths and hospitalization are all rising again and the U.S. hovers around 800,000 pandemic deaths. The latest surge, driven by the delta variant, is accelerating due to colder weather and more indoor gatherings, even as health officials brace for the impact of the emerging omicron mutant.
Both companies initially studied their drugs in unvaccinated adults who face the gravest risks from COVID-19, due to older age or health problems, such as asthma or obesity. Across both of Pfizer’s studies, adults taking the company's drug had a 10-fold decrease in virus levels compared with those on placebo.
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