On April 9th, 2021, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of Pfizer’s Covid-19 antiviral pill, Paxlovid, for high-risk adults.
The single-dose pill is designed to reduce the severity and duration of Covid-19 symptoms in people aged 18 and older who show symptoms but are not yet hospitalized. Trials showed that those who took the pill saw more improvement in their Covid-19 symptoms than those who received a placebo.
Paxlovid is the first pill approved by the FDA to treat Covid-19 outside the hospital setting and will be available by prescription. The FDA cautioned that Paxlovid should not replace other preventive measures against Covid-19 such as social distancing, wearing face masks and getting vaccinated when available.
This approval is a major milestone in the fight against the pandemic and will offer individuals an additional tool to help treat the symptoms of Covid-19.