The European Medicines Agency (EMA) supports the use of Pfizer’s corona drug Paxlovid for emergencies. According to the authority, the tablets can be used to treat adults if they do not need additional oxygen and there is no increased risk of serious disease. The recommendation means that countries in the EU are allowed to use the drug before it is approved.
The risk of being admitted to hospital decreases massively
On Monday, Pfizer presented final data from a study on the effectiveness of the pill. The antiviral drug lowers the risk of hospitalization or death in high-risk patients by up to 89 percent if treatment is started within three to five days of the onset of symptoms.
According to the manufacturer, the drug lowers the ability of the coronavirus to multiply in the body’s cells. Medical professionals are expected to use it in combination with the drug ritonavir, which is used in the treatment of HIV patients.
Pregnant women should not take the drug
According to the EMA, the most common side effects of paxlovid are taste impairment, diarrhea and vomiting. Pregnant women should not take the drug, and mothers should stop breastfeeding while taking it, the manufacturer said.
National authorities can decide on the use of a drug before official approval, for example in emergency situations. Now the procedure for formal approval follows, announced the EMA. A final decision could be made in a few months.