First delivery of COVID-19 oral antiviral treatment is distributing
Jan 20, 2021
Global Korean Post
The Government of Canada has received an initial shipment of 30,400 treatment courses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 oral antiviral treatment, PAXLOVIDTM with 120,000 more expected to be delivered between now and the end of March.
Canada also secured access to 500,000 courses of Merck’s COVID-19 oral antiviral treatment, molnupiravir, with options for up to 500,000 more, pending Health Canada’s authorization.
Health Canada has authorized the combination of two antiviral drugs, nirmatrelvir and ritonavir (brand name PAXLOVIDTM), to treat adults with mild to moderate COVID-19 who are at high risk of progressing to serious disease, including hospitalization or death.
The active ingredient nirmatrelvir in PAXLOVIDTM works by stopping the virus from replicating.
Until now, authorized medications for COVID-19 have had to be taken in a hospital or healthcare setting. PAXLOVIDTM is the first COVID-19 therapy that can be taken at home.
The drug is intended for use as soon as possible after diagnosis of COVID-19 and within five days of the start of symptoms. The treatment consists of two tablets of nirmatrelvir and one tablet of ritonavir taken together by mouth twice per day for five days.
