A Pill That Could Potentially Save Lives: Pfizer Treatment Reduced Risk of Hospitalization or Death from COVID-19 in Interim Analysis

Pfizer’s investigational novel COVID-19 oral antiviral candidate, PAXLOVID ™ (PF-07321332; ritonavir), reduced the risk of COVID-19-related hospitalization or death from any cause by 89 percent in a study in patients treated within three days of symptom onset, according to the company.

Pfizer will seek emergency use authorization from the U.S. FDA for the treatment candidate as soon as possible.

“Today’s news is a real game-changer in the global efforts to halt the devastation of this pandemic. These data suggest that our oral antiviral candidate, if approved or authorized by regulatory authorities, has the potential to save patients’ lives, reduce the severity of COVID-19 infections, and eliminate up to nine out of ten hospitalizations,” said Albert Bourla, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Pfizer.

If authorized, PAXLOVID would be the first oral antiviral of its kind, a specifically designed SARS-CoV-2-3CL protease inhibitor.

For more detail, read our press release.