Pfizer starts dosing patients in oral Covid-19 drug trial
The company and its rivals, including US-based Merck & Co Inc and Swiss pharmaceutical Roche Holding AG, have been racing to develop the first antiviral pill to be taken on early signs of the illness
Pfizer Inc said on Wednesday it had started dosing in a mid-to-late-stage trial of its oral antiviral therapy for Covid-19 in non-hospitalised, symptomatic adult patients.
The company and its rivals, including US-based Merck & Co Inc and Swiss pharmaceutical Roche Holding AG, have been racing to develop the first antiviral pill to be taken on early signs of the illness.
Pfizer's mid-to-late-stage trial in 1,140 participants would study the therapy, PF-07321332, in combination with a low dose of ritonavir, which has been used with other antivirals too, the company said.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
PF-07321332 is designed to block the activity of a key enzyme that is needed for the coronavirus to replicate.
To date, Gilead Sciences Inc's remdesivir, administered intravenously, is the only approved antiviral treatment for Covid-19 in the United States.
Merck and partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics' molnupiravir is already being studied in a late-stage trial in non-hospitalised patients to see if it reduces the risk of hospitalization or death.
The companies said on Wednesday they had started a late-stage trial of molnupiravir for the prevention of Covid-19 infection.
Pfizer said in July if the PF-07321332 trial was successful, it would file for a potential emergency use authorisation in the fourth quarter.
