Prognosis
Pfizer Asks FDA to Clear Covid Pill for High-Risk Patients
- Paxlovid is second oral antiviral to undergo FDA review
- Drugmaker also moves to widen access to oral treatment
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Pfizer Inc. asked U.S. regulators for emergency-use authorization of its Covid-19 pill that could play a critical role in further protecting high-risk patients from the disease’s worst effects.
The drug, Paxlovid, blocks a crucial enzyme that’s key to coronavirus replication and would be the first of its kind if cleared, Pfizer said Tuesday in a statement. Unlike most other Covid treatments, it could be prescribed for home use. The shares rose 0.5% at 2:34 p.m. in New York.