US Gives Authorization for At-Home Coronavirus Pill

Today, Dec. 22, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued an emergency use authorization for Pfizer’s Paxlovid for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adults and pediatric patients, 12 and older.

Data from Pfizer’s clinical trial shows the oral pill is 90% effective in preventing hospitalizations and deaths in patients at high risk of severe illness.

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From the FDA:

‘Today’s authorization introduces the first treatment for COVID-19 that is in the form of a pill that is taken orally — a major step forward in the fight against this global pandemic,’ said Patrizia Cavazzoni, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. ‘This authorization provides a new tool to combat COVID-19 at a crucial time in the pandemic as new variants emerge and promises to make antiviral treatment more accessible to patients who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19.’

BREAKING: Pfizer oral COVID-19 pill gets U.S. authorization for at-home use https://t.co/2KkwAv1S6U pic.twitter.com/bqoaeVKdZH

— Reuters (@Reuters) December 22, 2021