The Ministry of Health has issued an emergency permit for the drug Paxlovid, Pfizer's antiviral drug for the treatment of corona.
The Ministry of Health and Pfizer have signed an agreement to purchase the drug, and it is expected to arrive in Israel in the coming days.
Paxlobide was approved last week in an emergency approval by the FDA.
The drug inhibits the activity of the protease enzyme which is necessary in the process of replication of the virus in the body.
Paxlobide is an antiviral drug given in tablets, and is intended to be given to corona patients with mild to moderate symptoms, who are at high risk for corona complications. The drug is intended for home treatment, and should be given 3-5 days from the onset of symptoms.
The duration of treatment is five days.
The FDA's emergency approval is based on the results of the Phase 2/3 study which showed that the drug reduces the relative risk of severe morbidity, hospitalization and mortality by 89%, in patients treated within three days of the onset of symptoms, with no deaths in the treatment group.
Similar results were seen in those treated within five days of the onset of symptoms.
This is a mechanism of action that does not depend on a variant. The antiviral activity of the drug is maintained under laboratory conditions with different variants.
In a biochemical test, the omicron variant did not reduce drug activity.
The side effects observed in the study were moderate and similar between the treatment group and the placebo group.
All of these confirm efficiency and a good safety profile.
Were we wrong?
Fixed!
If you found an error in the article, we'll be happy for you to share it with us
