Lagatar24 Desk
Seoul, Dec 28: South Korea on Monday approved an emergency authorization of ‘Paxlovid’, the Covid-19 oral treatment developed by a global pharmaceutical company Pfizer.
According to the South Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), Paxlovid is the antiviral pill for the treatment of mild to moderate Covid-19 in patients at increased risk of hospitalization or death.
It is expected to be used from the end of January next year as the first oral COVID-19 treatment in Korea. The authorization was passes through the discussion by the ‘Medical Products Safety Management and Supply Committee for Responding to Public Health Crisis.’
The committee evaluated the necessity of oral drugs and the safety and efficacy of Paxlovid, and concluded that the oral pill is needed to deal with the public health crisis.
The drug is a protease inhibitor antiviral therapy that is specifically designed to be administered orally so that it can be prescribed at the first sign of infection or at first awareness of an exposure.
The Ministry said trial results showed Paxlovid significantly reduces the risk of hospitalization or death in patients at high risk of severe illness.
