Pfizer says its new anti-viral drug is highly effective at reducing potentially dangerous Covid symptoms, according to a statement from the company on Friday.
Pfizer Inc. today announced its investigational novel COVID-19 oral antiviral candidate, PAXLOVID™, significantly reduced hospitalization and death, based on an interim analysis of the Phase 2/3 EPIC-HR (Evaluation of Protease Inhibition for COVID-19 in High-Risk Patients) randomized, double-blind study of non-hospitalized adult patients with COVID-19, who are at high risk of progressing to severe illness. The scheduled interim analysis showed an 89% reduction in risk of COVID-19-related hospitalization or death from any cause compared to placebo in patients treated within three days of symptom onset (primary endpoint).
Pfizer said that only 0.8% of patients who received the drug were hospitalized and none died, compared to 7.0% of those in the placebo group, which had 7 deaths.
The pill was tested on 775 adults.
The company also said their study showed that quick administration of the drug led to a reduction in the length of stay in the hospital. The U.K. has already approved the drug and the FDA is in the process of reviewing it for approval.
"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, the drug giant's chief scientific officer.
Pfizer, which has had the top-selling Covid-19 vaccine worldwide, announced recently that it expects to sell $36 billion worth of the vaccine in 2021.
