The message is very welcome, says chief physician and infection researcher Magnus Gisslén Swedish daily newspaper.
He points out in particular that the covid-19 vaccines have a weak effect in many people who have weakened immune systems, and that they therefore need additional protection. The new omikron variants BA.4 and BA.5 are expected to make the need even greater.
– The treatment we most often use now are monoclonal antibodies and they do not have as good an effect against these new variants. However, we know that antiviral drugs such as Paxlovid also work very well against new variants of SARS-CoV-2, says Magnus Gisslén.
Approved since January
Paxlovid was already approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in January, but the introduction has been delayed as the EU-wide negotiations have stalled. The National Board of Health and Welfare has now concluded an agreement directly with Pfizer.
The drug prevents the virus from multiplying in the cells. The tablets should be taken as soon as possible after diagnosis and within five days of symptom onset. The cure lasts for five days, writes Pfizer in one press release.
Maximum effect for high-risk patients
The drug has been shown to reduce the risk of serious illness among high-risk patients. According to a study, the risk of hospitalization decreased by 89 percent, writes CNN.
However, the effect is less clear to others, according to a new study. The symptoms were not reduced as much as Pfizer had hoped, and the effect on the need for medical care was not statistically significant. The company has therefore decided to end the recruitment for the study, the magazine reports Time.