December 27, 2021, 05:27 PM
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South Korea is the first country in Asia to authorise the emergency use of Pfizer's antiviral pills targeting Covid-19.
Diversifying existing Covid-19 treatments
The decision was announced by Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on Monday, Dec. 27, days after the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency requested for an emergency authorisation of the drug, according to The Korea Herald.
It is likely to be made available from late January 2022.
The oral antiviral treatment, called Paxlovid, has been shown to have an almost 90 per cent efficacy in preventing hospitalisation and death in high-risk patients.
It is expected to help prevent the "severe deterioration" of patients admitted to residential treatment centres or recovering at home, and diversify the type of Covid-19 treatments available beyond injections in Korea, said drug safety minister Kim Gang-lip.
“As the number of Covid-19 patients and those in serious condition has been increasing, we comprehensively considered the need to introduce pills that patients can take themselves, the examination review of safety and effectiveness of the drug and the results of an expert committee meeting.”
Who it'll be used for
The drug will be used for adults or children aged 12 years and above, weighing over 40kg with mild to moderate Covid-19 symptoms, and at high risk of developing severe Covid-19 due to causes like underlying conditions.
They can be taken on prescription, and kept at room temperature for up to 12 months.
Korea's Minister of Health and Welfare Kwon Deok-cheol added that they had secured enough pills, both Paxlovid by Pfizer and Molnupiravir by Merck Sharp & Dohme, for 604,000 people.
The Korean authorities are also looking into securing more.
Last week, the U.S. had become the first country to approve Paxlovid for emergency use authorisation – for those with mild to moderate Covid-19 symptoms aged 12 years and older.
Israel has also ordered 100,000 units of Pfizer's antiviral Covid-19 pill, with the pills slated to arrive over the next few days.Related stories:
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