Pfizer is optimistic that its experimental oral drug to treat Covid-19 could be a game changer in the battle against the virus, as it reportedly works by preventing the replication of proteins necessary to produce infectious viral particles. It will also be effective against variants of the virus that have already emerged, as well as future mutations.
Early-stage trials of the oral drug began in March and there is particular attention being paid to the treatment as, unlike injectable drugs, a patient would not need to be in a hospital environment
A NEW drug that could be a “game changer” in treating Covid-19 is expected to be ready by the end of this year, according to pharmaceutical giant Pfizer.
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said his company’s antiviral treatments are now being developed and that he was upbeat about the prospects for their progress.
“If all goes well, and we implement the same speed that we are, and if regulators do the same, and they are, I hope that by the end of the year,” said Bourla.
Pfizer is working on an oral antiviral and an injectable antiviral.
This class of drugs, known as protease inhibitors, is widely used in the treatment of HIV/Aids and Hepatitis C.
They work by preventing the replication of proteins necessary to produce infectious viral particles, which should also make them effective against variants of the virus that have already emerged, as well as future mutations.
Early-stage trials of the oral drug began in March and Bourla says that there is particular attention being paid to that treatment as, unlike injectable drugs, a patient would not need to be in a hospital environment.
“You could get it at home, and that could be a game-changer,” he said, adding that there should be more news in the summer.
At present, the only antiviral approved in the US to treat Covid-19 is remdesivir, manufactured by Gilead Sciences.
Emergency use of the drug was granted by the US Food and Drug Administration in May 2020, with full approval following in October.
Remdesivir, originally developed to treat Ebola virus, is given to a patient by an intravenous drip, and so must be administered in a hospital setting.
Pfizer manufactures one of the three Covid-19 vaccines currently available in the US. It was developed in conjunction with Germany’s BioNTech.
Emergency authorization for use was granted by the FDA in December, and since then 122.7 million doses have been administered.
Approximately 48.5 million Americans have now been fully vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine, a two-dose solution with a three-week gap between shots.
Just under 26 million people have received one dose to date. (RdlC)
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