Pfizer to Launch at-home Pill to Treat Covid-19 in a single dose

COVID-19 or Coronavirus is an ongoing worldwide pandemic which is caused by severe acute respiratory coronavirus originated from Wuhan, China. Pfizer is an American multinational pharmaceutical corporation and the world’s largest pharmaceutical company. 

And recently, Albert Bourla, the CEO of Pfizer revealed that they are developing a pill to treat Covid-19 at home with the help of German drugmaker BioNTech and could be made available by the end of 2021 (via CNBC).

Approval of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine

Until now, U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not approve or licensed it. But in case of emergency, it has been authorized for emergency use by FDA under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to be used in individuals from 16 years of age and older.

Clinical Trials of The Pill

The first human trials of a single pill cure of Covid-19 are undergoing. If these trials are successful that means Covid-19 could be treated at home without the need to be hospitalized and it is going to be the first oral antiviral pill.

They’re going go to held 3 clinical trials of the pill under the next two years. Phase 1 Trial of the pill is taking place in the U.S and Belgium. It is conducting approximately 60 people who are healthy and volunteered themselves and there is under 18 – 60.

“This Phase 1 trial is being conducted in the US. The oral antiviral clinical candidate PF-07321332, a SARS-CoV2-3CL protease inhibitor, has demonstrated potent in vitro anti-viral activity against SARS-CoV-2, as well as activity against other coronaviruses, suggesting potential for use in the treatment of Covid-19 as well as potential use to address future coronavirus threats,” Pfizer said in a statement.

The antiviral drug is introduced which is under development belongs to a class of medicines called protease inhibitors (widely used to treat HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis). Protease inhibitors prevent the replication of the virus by binding to virus proteases and blocking proteolytic splitting of protein precursors. 

Trials of Pfizer pill are supervised under them and independent groups of experts called a Data Monitoring Committee (DMC). They are monitoring participant’s health and follow up with them at regular visits.