EU reviewing Pfizer's COVID antiviral pill for emergency use
ABC News
The European Union’s drug regulator says it's started evaluating the coronavirus pill made by Pfizer Inc. to see if it might be used in emergency situations before it's officially authorized
AMSTERDAM -- The European Union's drug regulator said it has started evaluating the coronavirus pill made by Pfizer Inc. to see if it might be used in emergency situations before it is officially authorized.
In a statement Friday, the European Medicines Agency said it is looking at data on the effectiveness of Pfizer's antiviral pill when given to people infected with COVID-19 who are not yet hospitalized but are at risk of developing severe disease.
Early results suggest Pfizer's pill reduces the risk of hospitalization or death, compared with people who received a dummy pill, when they were treated within three to five days of developing COVID-19 symptoms, the agency said.
Although a more comprehensive evaluation will likely start soon, “this current review will provide EU-wide recommendations in the shortest possible timeframe so they can be used by national authorities who wish to take evidence-based decisions on the early use of the medicine,” the regulator said.
