FDA authorizes 1st antiviral pill for COVID

New York: In a highly anticipated decision, the Food and Drug Administration authorized the first antiviral pill to treat COVID-19 at home.

According to the officials of the pharmaceutical authority, the pill is called Paxlovid which is made by Pfizer. It's taken twice a day for five days in combination with a second medicine called ritonavir, a generic antiviral.

Dr. Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said that 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.

According to officials at the American pharmaceutical company Pfizer, their company's Paxlovid pill can reduce the risk of developing the disease by up to 90%.

The Pfizer treatment could help keep people infected with the coronavirus from getting so sick that they need to be hospitalized.

The federal government has a contract with Pfizer to buy 10 million courses of the treatment for $5.3 billion. But initial supplies of Paxlovid will be limited. The company says it will have 180,000 course of treatment ready by the end of the year.