Another milestone as we come into the third year of the pandemic is the approval of the first antiviral drug for the treatment of COVID-19. Paxlovid, developed by Pfizer, will be prescribed and prioritised for patients with higher risk of severe COVID-19. On today’s episode, we talk about EPIC-HR, the clinical study where a dramatic reduction in COVID-19 related hospitalisation or death was observed with Paxlovid when taken within 3-5 days of symptom onset compared to placebo. We also cover how the drug works, its side effects and reproductive safety.

TLDR: Paxlovid is another weapon in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and not a replacement for COVID-19 vaccines and boosters

Links:

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/covid-19-paxlovid-pill-singapore-receives-its-first-batch-pfizer-treatment-2494671

https://www.pfizer.com/news/press-release/press-release-detail/pfizers-novel-covid-19-oral-antiviral-treatment-candidate

https://dmd.aspetjournals.org/content/dmd/early/2022/02/13/dmd.121.000801.full.pdf

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07853890.2022.2034936

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0890623822000120

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Credit for theme music: Fresh Time by Roa https://soundcloud.com/roa_music1031

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