Pfizer Canada has received Health Canada approval for a use of a new COVID treatment in tablet form.
Paxlovid is intended for high-risk adults, 18 and older, who develop mild-to-moderate symptoms.
Dr. Supriya Sharma from Health Canada says a recent study on unvaccinated people who have COVID-19 symptoms showed Paxlovid to be very effective.
“The study showed that treatment with Paxlovid compared with no treatment, reduced the risk of hospitalization and death caused by COVID-19 by 89 percent when the medications were started within three days of the beginning of symptoms and 85 percent when started within five days,” states Dr. Sharma.
Dr. Sharma suggests studies show the pills are effective against the omicron variant.
“The recent data also included laboratory information confirming the effectiveness of the medication against the omicron variant. This submission included data from a clinical trial conducted in unvaccinated, non-hospitalized, high-risk adults, having COVID-19 symptoms.”
The pharmaceutical company says it will begin shipping it out as soon as possible.
Pfizer signed an agreement with the federal government for one million units this year.
Alexandra Hilkene is a spokesperson for the Minister of Health in Ontario and she issued the following statement:
“Ontario welcomes the news that Health Canada has approved Pfizer’s antiviral, Paxlovid.
We expect to receive approximately 10,000 courses of treatment from the federal government in January with details on timing of shipments to be confirmed.
Based on the limited supply we expect to receive from the federal government, we have worked with our hospital partners and are prepared for distribution of antivirals at 15 sites across the province as soon we receive them. Courses will initially be prioritized for adults with the highest risk of severe outcomes including immunocompromised patients and could help keep thousands of people out of our hospitals.
The arrival of these pills gives us increased confidence as we continue to review key indicators and data to determine when we can begin safely and gradually lifting public health measures, and we look forward to providing additional details in the near future.”
(With files from Randy Thoms)
