Advisory Board November 5, 2021
An experimental pill developed by Pfizer was found to reduce hospitalizations and deaths from Covid-19 by almost 90% when given within three days of symptom onset—suggesting the pill could be a major boon in the fight against the coronavirus.
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Details on the pill
The pill, which is called Paxlovid, is a protease inhibitor that blocks a key enzyme that the coronavirus needs to replicate. The drug is intended to be taken alongside ritonavir, a drug currently used in combination treatments for HIV infection. According to Pfizer, ritonavir slows the breakdown of Paxlovid and so extends the duration of its effectiveness in the body.