Will it finally be THE curative drug against Covid-19? The High Authority of Health should deliver its conclusions on the effectiveness of a new anti-viral, Paxlovid, by the end of January. It should not take long to land on the market.
It would reduce by 89% the risk of hospitalization or death in people developing severe forms of Covid-19 … Relayed today by the Sunday newspaper, these latest data on Paxlovid, a new anti-viral drug, were published by the Pfizer laboratory, which did not release any definitive results on clinical trials. This drug dispensed in tablet form and available in pharmacies is eagerly awaited by doctors. For the anecdote, Pfizer did not skimp on marketing: Paxlovid is the contraction of peace, love (love) and Covid.
Across the Atlantic, as of last December, the American drug agency, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), authorized the accessibility of Paxlovid to patients over 12 years old, positive for Covid-19 and at risk of developing forms severe disease. The European Medicines Agency followed suit by exceptionally authorizing this treatment only for adults. But then, why does it not arrive as far as France? Currently, the French government would negotiate the price of the antiviral with the Pfizer laboratory while calculating its performance, but also its level of safety. By the end of January, the High Authority of Health should deliver its conclusions and especially announce for which types of patients will be offered Paxlovid.
An anti-viral effective on the Omicron variant
Will this new treatment be truly effective or will it disappoint? In the columns of JDD, immunologist Cecil Czerkinsky explains the mechanism of action of Paxlovid: “It includes two drugs, one preventing the replication of the virus and the other – already used in the treatment of HIV or hepatitis C – to stabilize the first and lengthen its duration of action.” Benjamin Rossi, infectious disease specialist, specifies that “like all antivirals in the context of an acute infection, this one will only be of interest if it is given very early.”
Paxlovid, intended for frail people, should therefore be administered immediately after the discovery or confirmation of the infection by a positive test. The treatment is simple: three tablets morning and evening for five days. Another good news: the antiviral would be effective on the Omicron variant. However, health specialists remain unanimous: this tablet is not a miracle cure and the vaccine remains the preferred weapon of prevention.