Pfizer Begins Early-Stage Study of Oral Covid-19 Antiviral Therapy
According to the latest reports, Pfizer Inc has commenced its human safety testing of a new Covid-19 treatment pill that could be used at the first sign of illness.
Pfizer, one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies, which developed the first authorized Covid-19 vaccine in the U.S. along with Germany's BioNTech SA stated that the antiviral candidate showed potent activity against SARS-CoV-2 in lab studies.
It must be noted that Pfizer's candidate PF-07321332, is a protease inhibitor, which helps in stopping the virus from duplicating in cells. According to the drugmaker, protease inhibitors are important in the treatment of different viral pathogens like HIV and hepatitis C virus, both on their own and in combination with other antivirals.
Pfizer Inc perceives this class of molecules to give optimum treatments against coronavirus. The company is also undergoing a study of an antiviral candidate in an early-stage trial in coronavirus patients who are hospitalized. The antiviral candidate under study requires intravenous administration.
In a statement, Mikael Dolsten, CEO, Pfizer informed that together, oral and intravenous candidates have the potential to create an end-to-end treatment paradigm that complements vaccination in cases where the disease is still present.
It is to be noted that at present, Gilead Sciences' Remdesivir is the only FDA approved novel coronavirus drug in the United States.
Emergency authorization to intravenous therapies from Eli Lilly - bamlanivimab, alone and in combination with etesevimab as well as a combination therapy from Regeneron have been provided by the FDA.
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Disclaimer: This article is issued in the general public interest and meant for general information purposes only. Readers are advised not to rely on the contents of the article as conclusive in nature and should research further or consult an expert in this regard.
