The World Health Organization (WHO) approved Pfizer's new crown oral drug Paxlovid on April 12 for high-risk patients after an analysis of the United Nations agency's trial data, saying that the drug is more effective when used in the early stages of infection.
Recommended for high-risk patients
According to WHO experts' guidance published in the British Medical Journal, older, underlying chronically ill, unvaccinated or immunocompromised patients should take their medication as soon as possible when infected with the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). Reduce the risk of hospitalization.
A World Health Organization analysis of two clinical trials of Paxlovid involving nearly 3,100 patients showed the drug reduced the risk of hospitalization by 85 percent, according to the report.
For high-risk patients, taking Paxlovid could reduce hospitalizations by 84 per 1,000 patients, the agency said.
According to a statement from the World Health Organization, Pfizer's drug "may be a better option" because clinical trials suggest it may be able to significantly reduce hospitalizations, have fewer potential side effects than Merck's molnupiravir, and be more effective than intravenous injections Easier to manage.
"These treatments do not replace vaccination. They simply provide another treatment option for those patients who do become infected and are at higher risk," said Janet Diaz, head of clinical management at WHO.
It should be used in the early stage of infection
Access to the drug may be difficult for low- and middle-income countries, the WHO said.
In addition, the drug is more effective in the early stages of infection, but limited testing capacity in low- and middle-income settings may make it difficult to ensure that patients are detected at an early stage of infection.
"WHO is very concerned that, like the Covid-19 vaccine, low- and middle-income countries will again be pushed to the bottom of the queue in terms of access to this treatment," the WHO said.
In addition, WHO experts said the drug should not be used in lower-risk patients, for whom it has "minor" benefits.
Pfizer's new crown oral drug can be taken at home, and the drug has been approved in the United Kingdom and the United States.
Still, the National Institutes of Health recommends that the drug should only be used if no other treatment is available.
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