Pfizer, an American pharmaceutical giant, has announced that it is working on a ground-breaking antiviral pill that could enable COVID-19 to be treated at home by the end of 2021.
In an interview with CNBC on Tuesday, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla announced that the company is in the early stages of clinical trials for an oral treatment that can stop the virus from replicating in infected patients.
Bourla believes the breakthrough pill could be available in the United States by the end of this year, awaiting FDA clearance and further testing.
Pfizer COVID-19 At-Home COVID-19 Treatment Trials Just Started
According to the pharmacy executive, trials for the pill have started in both the United States and Belgium.
The trial will last 145 days and is divided into three stages. The first step identifies any possible drug side effects. The next step is to figure out how many doses are needed to fight the new coronavirus. According to Pfizer documents obtained by The Telegraph, the final step would look at the impact of consuming food while taking the medication.
Times of Israel said PF-07321332, a human-made antiviral molecule, may be included in the medication. It's a protease inhibitor that can stop COVID-19 from multiplying in the nose, mouth, and lungs of a topic.
Experts would give the prescription in combination with a low dose of Ritonavir, an HIV treatment drug. Ritonavir will serve as a "booster" to help the recipient's blood levels of PF-07321332 rise.
The antiviral molecule belongs to a class of drugs known as protease inhibitors, which stop a virus from spreading by delaying the development of an enzyme required for the pathogen to replicate in human cells.
These medications have also proved to be effective in the fight against viruses like HIV and hepatitis C. The antiviral drug, according to Bourla, should be successful against COVID-19 variants.
Pfizer COVID-19 At-Home COVID-19 Treatment A Game Changer
The Pfizer pill may be a game-changer in relieving the pressure on overburdened U.S. healthcare facilities by the need for hospitalizations and hospital-based therapies. Researchers believe that the provision of orally ingestible drugs would make outpatient and home care far more available, especially for those with mild COVID-19 cases.
Pfizer, along with BioNTech of Germany, made history in the United States last year when its coronavirus vaccine became one of the first to be approved for emergency use in the world. Since then, both the United States and Europe have licensed the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for widespread use.
Pfizer, according to Bourla, is committed to delivering at least 2.5 billion doses of their vaccine this year and no fewer than 3 billion doses annually.
Pfizer is actively campaigning for approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for teens aged 12 to 15. The pharmaceutical corporation claims that their studies were effective, and they anticipate that teenagers in this age range would be able to get vaccinated shortly.
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