The end of the strict COVID-19 lockdown brings a mixed effects. The bright side is that people’s lives can finally return to normal, and the rick-and-motor industry finds its chance after years of struggle. At the same time, the downside is also presented by the rocketing case number in recent months. 

Another round of medical resources like masks and disinfectant stockings is unfolded, not to mention various kinds of medicines. Amid the messes, China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) announced that Paxlovid from Pfizer is allowed to introduce in China. Here is the news from Pharma Sources.

Basics About Paxlovid

According to Yale Medicine, Paxlovid is an oral antiviral pill for the latest COVID-19 treatment. It is adopted when the infected gets into a serious and risky condition and should be used under the guidance of doctors. 

Paxlovid, generically called Nirmatrelvir and Ritonavir, is combined by Nirmatrelvir, a protease inhibitor, to dampen the protease activities that support the replication of the virus, and Ritonavir, commonly used for treating HIV, here is for prolonging the activity of Nirmatrelvir with high concentration. Palovid cannot kill the virus directly, well, given the performance of two main components in the drug. Therefore, combating the virus majorly depends on the immune system. 

● Targeted Patients

Food and Drug Administration have granted Paxlovid with emergency use authorization to Paxlovid, and the patients should meet the following standards:

1. Tested positive of COVID-19, and get in severe situation

2. Age over 12 years old 

3. Weighs at least 88 pounds

What’s more, the targeted patients should also discuss their condition with doctors, including the medicine they have taken and pregnancy conditions. 

● Efficiency

A real-world study in Nov. 2022 published by CDC reported that adults who took Paxlovid within five days of a COVID-19 diagnosis had a 51% lower hospitalization rate within the next 30 days than those not given the drug.

To grant FDA authorization, Pfizer delivered the data from a clinical trial, saying that participants (all unvaccinated) who were given Paxlovid were 89% less likely to develop severe illness and death than trial participants who received a placebo.

But one should pay attention that Paxlovid has not been approved by the FDA but is authorized for adoption in emergent situations. 

● Controversy

1. Price

Ever since it was introduced in China on Dec. 15th, 2022, Paxlovid has aroused times of discussion on the internet. First and foremost, its prices. In the beginning, Paxlovid listed a price of 2980 yuan (430.82 US dollars) per box. So there have been talks about the exorbitant price and the actual value. 

2. Supply

The second controversy lies in the supply. Although expensive, many people decide to store some considering the fear of the virus, especially families with the vulnerable like kids and elders, which leads to the extremely prominent tension between the med supply and demand. 

3. Efficacy and side effect

The third one is related to its efficacy. Paxlovid is an underdeveloped medicine whose efficacy is challenged by the following factors:

■ Rebound

According to the instruction of Paxlovid, the standard dose contains 2 Nirmatrelvir tablets and 1 ritonavir tablet and should be taken twice a day for 5 days. However, many patients had tested negative for the virus after a 5-day course of medicine but back to positive after a few days. An essay in medRxiv points out that among the 13664 infected listed cases from Jan. 1st to June 8th, 2022, 3.54% and 5.49% of patients rebounded after 7 days and 30 days, with 2.31% and 5.87% gaining common symptoms while 0.44% and 0.77% getting hospitalization.

While in the latest report, the numbers are increasing. Later last year, research in medRxiv presented that the rebounding rate doubles compared to the Paxlovid-taken patients and the other sort. Dr. Jay Pandit indicated that research targeting its rebounding effect is still under investigation.

■ Fatal weakness - interaction with other medicine

As what has mentioned before, Ritonavir will moderate the decomposition of Nirmatrelvir but will also function on other medicines one’s taking, which is lethal for people with complicated health conditions that should take different kinds of drugs. It is especially important for patients with high blood tension and underlying illnesses that affect cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, liver, and kidney. 

FDA has released a list of the medicines that cannot go with Paxlovid, containing 129 medicines that target different illnesses, among which 35 are prohibited from taking with it, and 94 are avoided. Jay said that the research about the interaction effect is also under study. Therefore, patients should contact doctors before taking Paxlovid, elaborating on the medicines they take to avoid the severe consequences. 

For more information about healthcare-related issues, you can visit Pharma Sources.