A photo provided by Pfizer shows the company's antiviral pill used to treat COVID-19. (Pfizer Canada/Twitter)

By CKOM News

Health Canada authorizes antiviral COVID-19 pill

Jan 17, 2022 | 11:02 AM

Health Canada authorized a blend of two antiviral drugs Monday to treat adults with mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms who are at high risk of progressing to serious disease.

The government department announced the authorization in a news release Monday which sees nirmatrelvir and ritonavir combine to create the brand name PAXLOVIDTM. The active ingredient nirmatrelvir in PAXLOVID™ works by stopping the virus from replicating.

PAXLOVID is the first form of COVID-19 therapy that can be taken at home. Until now, authorized medications had to be taken in a hospital or healthcare setting. The drug is intended for use as soon as possible after a COVID-19 diagnosis 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.

Health Canada received the submission from pharmaceutical giant Pfizer on Dec. 1, 2021.

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“Pfizer submitted the data to Health Canada on a rolling basis throughout the review process, as new information became available to facilitate a decision as quickly as possible,” the Health Canada release stated.

The data included results from clinical trials for PAXLOVID where patients had not been vaccinated and had not previously been infected with COVID-19.

Paxlovid can cause interactions with other medications for some patients. Patients are asked to discuss the risks and benefits of treatment with their healthcare provider.

Health Canada warns that no drug, including PAXLOVID, is a substitute for vaccination. Vaccination remains the most important tool in preventing serious illness from COVID-19 infection.