Pfizer: Pill cut hospital, death risk nearly 90%
Antiviral could become a key COVID treatmemt
WASHINGTON – Pfizer Inc. said Friday that its experimental antiviral pill for COVID-19 cut rates of hospitalization and death by nearly 90% in high-risk adults, as the drugmaker joined the race for an easy-to-use medication to treat the coronavirus.
Currently, most COVID-19 treatments require an IV or injection. Competitor Merck’s COVID-19 pill is already under review at the Food and Drug Administration after showing strong initial results; on Thursday the United Kingdom became the first country to approve it.
Pfizer said it will ask the FDA and international regulators to authorize its pill as soon as possible, after independent experts recommended halting the company’s study based on the strength of its results. After Pfizer applies, the FDA could make a decision within weeks or months.
Since the beginning of the pandemic last year, researchers worldwide have raced to find a pill to treat COVID-19 that can be taken at home to ease symptoms, speed recovery and prevent hospitalization.
Having pills to treat early COVID-19 “would be a very important advance,” said Dr. John Mellors, chief of infectious diseases at the University of Pittsburgh, who was not involved in the study.
“If someone developed symptoms and tested positive, we could call in a prescription to the local pharmacy as we do for many, many infectious diseases,” Mellors said.
Pfizer on Friday released preliminary results of its study of 775 adults. Patients who received the company’s drug along with another antiviral shortly after showing COVID-19 symptoms had an 89% reduction in their combined rate of hospitalization or death after a month, compared to patients taking a dummy pill. Fewer than 1% of patients taking the drug needed to be hospitalized, and no one died. In the comparison group, 7% were hospitalized and there were seven deaths.
“We were hoping that we had something extraordinary, but it’s rare that you see great drugs come through with almost 90% efficacy and 100% protection for death,” said Dr. Mikael Dolsten, Pfizer’s chief scientific officer.
Study participants were unvaccinated, with mild to moderate COVID-19, and were considered at high risk for hospitalization due to issues like obesity, diabetes or heart disease.
Treatment began within three to five days of initial symptoms and lasted for five days. Patients who received the drug earlier showed slightly better results.
Pfizer reported few details on side effects but said rates of problems were similar between the groups at about 20%.
An independent group of medical experts monitoring the trial recommended stopping it early, standard procedure when interim results show such a clear benefit. The data have not yet been published for outside review, the normal process for vetting new medical research.
Top U.S. health officials continue to stress that vaccination will remain the best way to protect against infection. But with tens of millions of adults still unvaccinated, effective, easy-to-use treatments will be critical to curbing future waves of infections.