Pfizer’s antiviral COVID-19 pill approved by U.K. regulators
Global News
Pfizer this month said Paxlovid showed near 90 per cent efficacy in preventing hospitalizations and deaths in high-risk COVID-19 patients.
Great Britain has approved Pfizer‘s COVID-19 pill for patients over the age of 18 years who have mild to moderate infection and are at high risk of their illness worsening.
The approval comes as the country scrambles to build its defenses amid a record hit a daily record of new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, government data showed surge in COVID-19 cases.
Based on data, the pill, Paxlovid, is most effective when taken during the early stages of COVID-19, Britain’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said on Friday, recommending that the drug be used within five days of the onset of symptoms.
Pfizer this month said Paxlovid showed near 90 per cent efficacy in preventing hospitalizations and deaths in high-risk patients, and recent lab data suggests the drug retains its effectiveness against the fast spreading Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
“We now have a further antiviral medicine for the treatment of COVID-19 that can be taken by mouth rather than administered intravenously. This means it can be administered outside a hospital setting,” MHRA chief June Raine said in a statement.
Canadian health regulators continue to review the treatment for use in the country.
Russia says it is reviewing its negotiating position after claiming Ukrainian drones attacked the state residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin overnight Monday.
Preliminary reports indicate that two male foreign nationals died on the spot, according to Gbenga Omotoso, Lagos state commissioner for information.
Taiwan’s aviation authority said more than 100,000 international air travelers would be affected by flight cancellations or diversions.
The United States is offering Ukraine security guarantees for a period of 15 years as part of a proposed peace plan, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday.
Zelenskyy said he will raise “territorial issues” as Moscow and Kyiv remain fiercely at odds over the fate of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced late Thursday that the U.S had launched a “powerful and deadly strike” against forces of the Islamic State group in Nigeria.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that he will meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida over the weekend to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters that he would be willing to withdraw troops from the country’s eastern industrial heartland.
Trump said he named Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry special envoy appointed to Greenland to 'lead the charge.'
Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov, head of the Operational Training Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces’ General Staff, died from his injuries.
Thousands of people, including Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, gathered at Bondi Beach Sunday to mark the Dec. 14 attack on a Hanukkah celebration that left 15 dead.
More than a dozen Epstein-related files vanished from the U.S. Justice Department’s website within a day, with no explanation, raising transparency concerns.
Australian authorities plan to ban symbols tied to extremism and certain chants after a mass shooting at Bondi Beach killed 15 people and injured many more.