COVID-19 treatment Granted Full FDA Approval

Contributed by Audra Stewart-Gordon, Community Health and Communications Coordinator.

Paxlovid, the pill that has become the go-to treatment for COVID-19 treatment, was granted full approval in May by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adults at high risk for severe disease, including hospitalization and death. The drug also remains available to everyone 12 and older (weighing at least 88 pounds) who has mild-to-moderate disease and is at high risk for severe disease under an FDA Emergency Use Authorization.

Paxlovid is an oral antiviral pill that can be taken at home to help keep high-risk patients from getting so sick that they need to be hospitalized. So, if you are eligible to take the pills, you can take them at home and lower your risk of going to the hospital.

The drug, developed by Pfizer, had an 89% reduction in the risk of hospitalization and death in unvaccinated people in the clinical trial that supported the EUA, a number that was high enough to prompt the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to prioritize it over other COVID-19 treatments. Studies outside of the laboratory have since confirmed Paxlovid’s effectiveness among people who have been vaccinated. It’s cheaper than many other COVID-19 drugs (at this time, U.S. residents eligible for Paxlovid will continue to receive the medicine at no charge), and it is expected to work against the latest Omicron subvariants.

Talk with your physician about whether Paxlovid is the right treatment for you.