THE World Health Organisation said Friday it "strongly recommended" Pfizer's COVID-19 antiviral pill Paxlovid for patients with milder forms of the disease who were still at a high risk of hospitalisation.
However the UN agency warned it was "extremely concerned" that the inequality in access seen with COVID vaccines would again leave low- and middle-income countries "pushed to the end of the queue".
US pharma giant Pfizer's combination of nirmatrelvir and ritonavir was the "superior choice" of treatment for unvaccinated, elderly or immunocompromised people with COVID, the WHO's experts said in the BMJ medical journal.
For the same patients, the WHO also made a "conditional (weak) recommendation" of the antiviral drug remdesivir made by US biotech firm Gilead -- which it had previously recommended against.
The WHO recommended Paxlovid over remdesivir, as well as over Merck's molnupiravir pill and monoclonal antibodies.
Pfizer's oral treatment prevents hospitalisation more than the "available alternatives, has fewer concerns with respects to harms than molnupiravir, and is easier to administer than intravenous remdesivir and antibodies," the WHO's experts said.
The new recommendation was based on the findings of two trials involving almost 3,100 patients which showed that Paxlovid reduced the risk of hospital admission by 85 percent.
The trials also "suggested no important difference in mortality" and "little or no risk of adverse effects leading to drug discontinuation".
The recommendation applies to people over the age of 18, but not to pregnant or breastfeeding women.
It also does not apply to patients with a low risk of complications from the disease, because the benefit would be minimal.
The WHO's experts also declined to give an opinion for patients with severe forms of the disease, due to a lack of data.
- Limitations and inequities -
The WHO stressed the limitations of such antiviral treatments.
"The medicine can only be administered while the disease is at its early stages," they said.
This means the patients must quickly test positive and be prescribed the pill by a doctor -- all of which can pose obstacles for low- and middle-income countries, the WHO said.
Yet Covid pills have been seen as a potentially huge step in ending the pandemic as they can be taken at home, rather than in hospital.
Patients must start taking their Paxlovid pills within five days of the onset of symptoms -- the course then lasts five days.
Remdesivir can be taken within seven days of symptoms setting in, but it is administered intravenously over three days.
- Questions about cost -
The WHO called on Pfizer to "make its pricing and deals more transparent" for Paxlovid.
Lisa Hedman, the WHO's senior advisor on access to medicines, said that radio station NPR reported a full course of Paxlovid costs $530 in the United States. Another source unconfirmed by WHO gave the price of $250 in an upper-middle income country.
Remdesivir meanwhile costs $520, Hedman said, but generic versions made by companies in India sell for $53-$64.
There is also a question mark over whether the virus could build resistance to these treatments.
But earlier this month Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla predicted a bright future for treatments like Paxlovid as people grow tired of getting further booster vaccinations.
Coming under fire for prioritising wealthy countries with its vaccine, Pfizer has agreed to allow some generic drugmakers around the world to make cheaper versions of Paxlovid under a UN-backed scheme.
But on Friday the WHO "strongly recommended" that Pfizer let more generic manufacturers produce the drug and "make it available faster at affordable prices".
ETX Studio
Fri Apr 22 2022
The WHO recommended Paxlovid over remdesivir, as well as over Merck's molnupiravir pill and monoclonal antibodies. -Facebook/Piguka wiata
Patuhi standard pelancongan ASEAN, tarik lebih ramai pelancong - Tiong
Penggiat industri pelancongan digesa supaya sentiasa mematuhi Standard Pelancongan ASEAN bagi meningkatkan kualiti perkhidmatan sektor itu.
Nur Shazrin mungkin 'lupakan' Paris 2024
Nur Shazrin kemungkinan 'terpaksa' melupakan penampilan kali ketiganya di Sukan Olimpik Paris 2024 berikutan kecederaan pada tangan kanannya ketika menyertai kejohanan Last Chance Regatta di Hyeres.
Asia Pasifik kini dalam era 'gemilang' transformasi digital - Huawei
Rantau Asia Pasifik turut menjadi ikutan pihak lain yang giat berusaha meningkatkan ekonomi digital mereka.
KPWKM ambil tindakan kepada lebih 500 taska tidak berdaftar
Sebanyak 49.8 peratus atau 538 daripada 1,080 taska yang tidak berdaftar dengan JKM di negara ini telah diambil tindakan penguatkuasaan dan pentadbiran.
Segmen penerbangan Capital A catat 90 peratus faktor muatan, 15.4 juta penumpang pada suku pertama 2024
AAG mencatatkan prestasi yang bertambah baik dengan merekodkan faktor muatan sebanyak 90 peratus pada suku pertama 2024, mencerminkan peningkatan satu peratus tahun ke tahun.
Pegawai, anggota bomba di lima negeri ada masalah kesihatan
Ujian Kemahiran Taktikal Kebombaan diduduki seramai 12,608 anggota dan pegawai dan hanya 9,313 sahaja yang lulus.
Kerajaan komited lahirkan lebih ramai teknousahawan
Anugerah Teknousahawan TVET@KKDW diperkenalkan bagi memberi pengiktirafan serta penghargaan kepada institusi, pengajar, pelajar, graduan dan alumni yang telah menunjukkan kecemerlangan dalam bidang keusahawanan TVET.
Kedah bakal bangunkan LRT di Langkawi
Kedah merancang membina sistem tren Transit Aliran Ringan (LRT) menggunakan teknologi levitasi magnet di Langkawi
Kes pedofilia MRSM Tumpat diklasifikasikan fitnah, tiada bukti kukuh
Kes pedofilia terhadap seorang guru Maktab Rendah Sains Mara di Tumpat diklasifikasikan sebagai fitnah selepas siasatan tidak menemui bukti kukuh berhubung kes itu, kata Ketua Polis Kelantan Datuk Muhamad Zaki Harun.
Kerajaan berusaha tangani inflasi, tingkat kuasa beli rakyat
Menurut Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, kerajaan tidak berdiam diri dalam menangani masalah inflasi termasuk melalui pelaksanaan pelbagai bentuk intervensi seperti kawalan harga.
Ubat Paxlovid masih berkesan rawat COVID-19
Rawatan antiviral itu boleh mengurangkan gejala COVID-19 dan mengelakkan penyakit daripada menjadi lebih teruk.
Vaksinasi, ubat antiviral strategi tangani gelombang baharu COVID-19 - Khairy
Masih terdapat lebih 30 peratus golongan dewasa di negara ini yang belum mendapatkan dos penggalak setakat 7 Julai.
Pfizer dakwa pil COVID-19 keluarannya mampu kurangkan kemasukan ke hospital
Pfizer menamatkan ujian klinikal ke atas Paxlovid, susulan keputusan awal yang sangat positif.