By Michael Erman
(Reuters) – A 15-day course of Pfizer's COVID-19 antiviral therapy Paxlovid didn’t relieve signs of lengthy COVID, in response to a examine by Stanford College researchers.
Presently, there aren’t any confirmed therapies particularly for lengthy COVID through which a number of signs can final for a lot of months after preliminary coronavirus an infection.
Scientists and sufferers had hoped that Pfizer's two-drug oral therapy would ease signs of lengthy COVID after anecdotal experiences of sufferers who stated Paxlovid helped them.
However the 15-week, 155-participant examine failed to indicate {that a} 15-day course helped greater than a placebo in lowering fatigue, mind fog, shortness of breath, physique aches, or gastrointestinal or cardiovascular signs. Trial contributors, on common, had been sick greater than 16 months earlier than enrolling within the trial.
“We didn’t see a measurable distinction based mostly on affected person reported outcomes within the six composite signs collectively,” Stanford Medication Professor Dr. Upinder Singh stated in an interview. “We didn't see a profit in particular person signs both.”
Dr. Singh stated she believes that additional examine of the therapy for lengthy COVID nonetheless has benefit, maybe in longer programs than 15 days or in sufferers who haven't been sick for as lengthy.
The examine did present that Paxlovid, which is presently prescribed as a 5-day course early after an infection or symptom onset, is protected when used for 15 days, she added.
Pfizer stated in a press release that the outcomes won’t affect its different deliberate collaborative research of Paxlovid as a possible therapy for lengthy COVID.
Paxlovid is probably the most generally prescribed at residence therapy for COVID-19 within the US It’s accredited to deal with COVID in adults who’re susceptible to extreme issues from the sickness.
In Pfizer's unique medical trial, Paxlovid was proven to scale back hospitalizations and loss of life from COVID by round 90% for unvaccinated folks in danger for critical illness. In one other trial, Pfizer was not capable of present profit for these thought of at customary threat, together with vaccinated sufferers.
Pfizer funded the lengthy COVID trial. Other than Stanford researchers, scientists from Kaiser Permanente North California and Pfizer additionally contributed to the examine.
(Reporting by Michael Erman; Enhancing by Invoice Berkrot)
