WHO strongly recommends the use of Pfizer’s antiviral against Govit-19: Who should receive this treatment?

Today, the World Health Organization strongly recommends it Application The first drug That was the pills coming and going Patients with COVID-19 may be more susceptible to acute illness. This is a drug developed by the company Pfizer Containing Two antiviral drugs: Nirmatrelvir and Ridonavir. It is recommended for those who have not yet been vaccinated, those over 60, or those with immunodeficiency.

This drug has the trade name Paxlovit and according to the WHO Moderate to moderate Govt-19 patients have a higher risk of being admitted to the hospital. Health company experts published the work in a special journal P.M.J. And rated it “the best treatment option for high-risk patients to date.”

Despite their positive rating, experts also point to some barriers to access to anti-COVID-19 drugs in developing countries. According to the WHO report, “The availability of bilateral agreements made by the manufacturer, lack of price transparency and the need for quick and accurate testing before administration make this life-saving drug a major challenge for low-income countries.

Consultation was conducted by Infobe, Fernando Tordosa, a physician and consultant with the Pan American Health Organization on Covit-19 therapeutic interventions, commented on the benefits and accessibility of the drug. “The drug, which includes the antiviral drugs nirmadrelvir and ridonavir, has been approved For emergency use in the United States last December. It is not yet approved for commercialization in Argentina, “said Tordosa.

Based on clinical trials evaluating efficacy and safety, Paxlovit “provides the best results for patients who have not yet been vaccinated against Govit-19 and are at high risk for developing serious disease. In this group, with the potential failure of the immune system’s response, the drug reduces the risk of being admitted to the hospital, ”Tardosa said.

By containing antiviral Nirmatrelvira, the drug blocks a corona virus protein to prevent the virus from copying. Also, with ridonavir, nirmadrelvirin reduces the breakdown, which helps the body stay longer at higher concentrations.

It is given as three tablets (two nirmadrelvir and one ridonavir) twice a day orally for five days, for a total of 30 tablets. “The use of paxlovit for more than five consecutive days has not been approved,” the United Nations health agency said in a statement.

The WHO recommendation is based on data from two randomized controlled trials involving 3,078 patients. Data show that the risk of being admitted to the hospital after treatment is reduced by 85%. In the high-risk group (more than 10% risk of hospitalization), that is, less than 84 hospitals per 1,000 patients.

On the contrary, The WHO “advised against the use of Paxlovit in low-risk patients because the benefits were found to be minimal.” He also stressed the differences between countries according to income level.

For low- and middle-income countries, the fact that the drug can only be given when the disease is in its early stages can be a barrier. This is because rapid tests for Govt-19 are not widely available to the public.Even last month, the Pan American Health Organization called for a further reduction in the number of tests.

Data collected by FIND show that the average daily test rate in low-income countries is less than one-eighth of that in high-income countries. The global practice of this treatment requires improving access to testing and early diagnosis in primary care centers.

“The WHO is very concerned that low- and middle-income countries will be pushed back into the queue when accessing this treatment, as happened with the COVID-19 vaccine,” he said. Due to the company’s lack of transparency, it is difficult for public health agencies to obtain an accurate picture of which countries are involved in the drug availability and what they are paying for. In addition, Pfizer’s licensing agreement with the Drug Patent Group restricts the number of countries that may benefit from the drug’s generics product, ”they said.

Based on the recommendation of the panel of experts, The drug Paxlovit was added to the WHO pre-qualification list today. But generic products are not yet available from sources of guaranteed quality. “Many generic companies (many of which are licensed under the Pool & Pfizer Agreement) are in pre-WHO negotiated status, but may take some time to meet international standards for delivering the drug to consumers internationally,” the health agency explained.

The WHO strongly recommends that Pfizer “make its prices and deals more transparent and expand the geographical scope of its licensing with the Drug Patent Board” so that more generic manufacturers can begin producing the drug and make it available more quickly at affordable prices.

“The target population that can benefit from the drug is very high. It is important that the health agency recommends that steps be taken to facilitate access to all, so as not to create equity problems due to cost and distribution, ”Tordosa said.

The WHO has strongly recommended the use of nirmadrelvir and ridonavir, as well as updating the recommendation for another corona antiviral drug, remtacivir. Previously, he advised against the use of this in all COVID-19 patients, regardless of the severity of the disease, because at that time all the evidence showed little or no effect on mortality.

The health agency updated its recommendation following the release of new data from a clinical trial analyzing the results of hospital admission. The WHO recommends the use of Remtacivir in mild or moderate Covit-19 patients at high risk of hospital admission. Recommendations for the use of Remdecivir in patients with severe or critical Govit-19 are currently being reviewed.

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