According to sizable research released on Wednesday (Aug 24), Pfizer's COVID-19 tablet appears to offer little to no benefit for younger persons while still lowering the risk of hospitalization and mortality for high-risk elderly
Israeli researchers studied 109,000 patients, and their findings are expected to raise additional concerns about the U.S. government's use of Paxlovid, which has grown in popularity as the preferred COVID-19 treatment since it can be taken at home. Through its test-and-treat program, the Biden administration has spent more than $10 billion buying the medication and making it accessible at thousands of pharmacies.
When administered soon after infection, the researchers discovered that Paxlovid reduced hospitalizations among persons 65 and older by almost 75%. That is in line with earlier findings used to approve the medicine in the U.S. and other countries. However, the review of medical records revealed that there was no discernible advantage for persons between the ages of 40 and 65.
The study was designed with limitations because it did not enroll patients in a randomized study with a control group, the gold standard in medical research, but instead collected data from a sizable Israeli health system.
The results are in line with the evolving pandemic, in which the vast majority of people already have some immunity to the virus due to immunization or earlier infection. That significantly lowers the likelihood of COVID-19 severe problems, especially for younger persons. According to a recent estimate by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 95% of Americans aged 16 and older have developed some degree of protection against the virus.
Paxlovid was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration late last year for use in adults and kids aged 12 and older who are at high risk due to illnesses like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. According to the CDC, 138 million Americans, or more than 42% of US adults, are considered obese.
There were no options for treating COVID-19 at home at the time the FDA made its decision, and Paxlovid was seen as essential to reducing hospital admissions and fatalities during the pandemic's second winter surge. The drug's outcomes were also significantly better than those of a Merck competitor's drug.
The FDA's decision was based on a Pfizer study of high-risk patients who hadn't received a COVID-19 vaccination or treatment in the past.
A separate study of Paxlovid in healthy people, both vaccinated and unvaccinated, failed to demonstrate a meaningful benefit, according to Pfizer earlier this summer. A medical journal has not yet published those findings.
