After the American pharmaceutical company Pfizer stunned the world when it announced the development of a drug to treat coronary heart disease, Israel Today has learned that the Ministry of Health intends to contact Pfizer in the coming days for information and data on the drug.
It was also noted that the Ministry of Health has previously received data on the previous research stages of the new drug.
However, it is important to note that Israel is not on the list of 90 countries interested in purchasing the drug that have already applied to Pfizer.
Prof. Dror Mevorach, Head of the Internal Medicine and Corona Department at Hadassah, stated: "Several revolutionary drugs have recently been developed. Linforibir (from Mark), which has already been approved in the UK, reduces 50% of moderate patients with risk factor and Pfizer reduces 90% of such hospitalizations. "Treatment that will undoubtedly significantly reduce hospitalizations in the next wave. At this stage, the treatment is intended for patients with a risk factor. I estimate that it will not be far off today and will be given to all adults even without a risk factor."
Meanwhile, as a result of the announcement of the revolutionary drug development, the Pfizer share soared by 11 percent.
Pfizer CEO Albert Burla said yesterday that the company plans to submit data from the interim analysis of the study to the FDA in order to get approval for the use of the pill.
"If approved by regulators there is potential to save patients' lives, reduce the severity of viral infections and cancel up to nine out of ten hospitalizations," Burla said.
Will the pill be used by patients who are not at risk?
The pill will be used in combination with an old antiviral drug called Ritonavir and is intended for patients at risk.
The combined treatment will be called Paxlovid and will consist of three pills given twice a day.
Pfizer examined hospitalizations and deaths among people diagnosed with corona virus with at least one risk factor for developing a serious illness, such as old age.
It was found that only 0.8% of the patients who received Pfizer's drug within three days of the onset of symptoms were hospitalized and none of them died.
Rates were similar for patients treated within five days.
The company said it expects to produce more than 180,000 packages by the end of 2021, and at least 50 million packages by the end of 2022, of which 21 million were produced in the first half.
Pfizer is also examining whether the pill can also be used by people without risk factors.
