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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday authorized the emergency use of Pfizer’s Paxlovid pill against COVID-19. It is the first oral treatment that Americans will be able to take at home.
The agency said in a statement that the drug is available by prescription only and should be started as soon as possible after a positive diagnosis of COVID-19 and within five days of the onset of symptoms.
“Today’s authorization introduces the first treatment for COVID-19 that is in the form of a pill that is taken orally — a major step forward in the fight against this global pandemic,” said Patrizia Cavazzoni, MD, director of the FDA’s Center for Drugs.
Paxlovid: “It’s not for prevention.”
However, the FDA clarified that the treatment is not cleared for prevention in the face of COVID-19 exposure. Nor for the initiation of treatment in those requiring hospitalization due to severe or critical illness.
Finally, the agency also asked Americans to get vaccinated against the disease. “The FDA has approved one vaccine and authorized others to prevent COVID-19 and serious clinical outcomes associated with a COVID-19 infection, including hospitalization and death,” the statement reads.
