If approved, Pfizer's oral COVID-19 antiviral therapy drug could be given to patients at the first sign of infection, the drug maker said on Tuesday.
The Novel Oral Antiviral Therapeutic Agent Against SARS-COV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19, is continuing on to the next step of phase 1 trials in healthy adults, which are evaluating the "safety and tolerability of an investigational, novel oral antiviral therapeutic."
The new therapy has demonstrated potent anti-viral activity against the virus, as well as against other coronaviruses, which suggests it could also be used against future coronaviruses.
“Tackling the COVID-19 pandemic requires both prevention via vaccine and targeted treatment for those who contract the virus. Given the way that SARS-CoV-2 is mutating and the continued global impact of COVID-19, it appears likely that it will be critical to have access to therapeutic options both now and beyond the pandemic,” said Mikael Dolsten, Chief Scientific Officer and President, Worldwide Research, Development and Medical of Pfizer.
The new oral therapy can be administered right away, without requiring patient hospitalization. The company is also working on an intravenous antiviral therapy as a treatment protocol for patients who have been hospitalized.
"Together, the two have the potential to create an end to end treatment paradigm that complements vaccination in cases where disease still occurs," said Dolsten.