FDA Recommends Covid Antiviral Pills, But Doctors Disagree

What about Pfizer’s pill, Paxlovid?

The FDA accredited Paxlovid, a pill that can prevent the concern of hospitalization or death from the new coronavirus in patients who are at least 12 years old. This new drug is suitable for people who have mild to moderate symptoms, but the FDA doesn’t recommend it for those who suffer from severe liver or kidney health conditions.

Several experts are worried about the side effect that the Molnupiravir pill might have, so the FDA has decided to restrain its use to adult patients and only in cases in which other accredited treatments, such as monoclonal antibodies, are not accessible or “clinically appropriate.”

Paxlovid is actually a cocktail of two pills: one tablet of Nirmatrelvir, which is an antiviral, and one of Ritonavir, which is a pill that was used as a booster in HIV regimens.

Ritonavir is responsible for abolishing an important enzyme from the liver, which is called CYP3A. This is responsible for metabolizing several drugs, including Nirmatrelvir.

When speaking of the Paxlovid treatment, Ritonavir’s job is to reduce the body’s degradation of the active antiviral and to help it stay at a therapeutic level for longer.

When Paxlovid is used with other medications that are also processed by the CYP3A enzyme, the main concern is that the Ritonavir component will increase the dangerous levels of the co-administered drugs.

Complicating matters, the drugs that represent a risk of interaction are usually provided to those who are at the highest risk of Covid-19 due to other medical issues. This can include medications such as blood thinners, anti-seizure drugs, pills for irregular heart rhythms, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, anti-anxiety medications, antidepressants, immunosuppressants, HIV treatments, erectile dysfunction medications, steroids (even inhalers), etc.

Peter Anderson, a professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, stated that not all these combinations are trivial, but people have to be careful with these. He added the fact that some of these pairings must be avoided generally.

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