Pfizer: Our new corona pills protect against serious illness – and against omicron

Studies show that Pfizer’s new corona pill Paxlovid protects against serious illness, including the omicron variant, according to the company.

“We are confident that if approved, this potential treatment could be a very important tool in the fight against the pandemic,” Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said, according to the New York Times.

A total of 2,246 unvaccinated people in risk groups participated in the study. 0.7% of those who received the pill were admitted to the hospital within 28 days. In comparison, 6.5% of the participants who received a placebo pill ended up being hospitalized or dead.

According to Pfizer, taking the pill no later than three days after the symptoms are discovered can reduce the risk of hospitalization and death by nearly 89%. The company also says that the risk is reduced by 88% if the pill is taken within five days since the symptoms have been discovered.

The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI) has previously been very positive about the development of corona pills, and they have recommended that Norway buy the medicine if it is approved. Both Pfizer and Merck have developed corona pills, which may be approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in the near future.

Merck’s corona pill is an antiviral medicine known as Lagevrio and contains the drug molnupiravir. The pill has been approved in the UK. In early October, Merck stated that this drug could halve the risk of hospitalization and death.

Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayNews

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