Pfizer has confirmed today that its Covid-19 pill reduces hospitalizations and deaths in people at risk by about 90% when taken within the first few days of symptoms appearing.
The drugmaker said in a statement that the conclusion on the drug's effectiveness resulted from clinical trials involving more than 2.200 people, and supports what was announced in early November based on preliminary results.
Participants in clinical trials were unvaccinated and were at high risk of developing a severe case of Covid-19.
Pfizer also announced that the antiviral treatment, which will be marketed under the name Paxlovid, should maintain effectiveness against the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which causes Covid-19 disease.
"This underlines the potential of this (drug) candidate to save the lives of patients around the world," said Albert Bourla, head of Pfizer, quoted in the statement.
"Concern strains like Omicron have exacerbated the need for affordable treatment options for those contracting the virus," he added.
Antivirals work to decrease the ability of a virus to replicate, which also alleviates the disease.
These treatments represent a key complement to vaccines in protecting against Covid-19, namely because they are very easy to administer.
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