Paxlovid is an oral antiviral pill for COVID-19 patients who are exhibiting mild to moderate symptoms. It can be taken at home to help prevent high-risk patients from becoming severely ill to the point of hospitalization.
Paxlovid was granted an EUA (emergency use authorization) and received FDA approval in December of last year. It was approved by Health Canada on January 17th of 2022.
It has been classified as an investigational medicine, and is intended for adults and children (12 years of age and older) who meet the prescription criteria.
Paxlovid consists of two different antiviral medications, – nirmatrelvir and ritonavir.
They work in tandem to stop the COVID-19 virus from replicating, and in turn help to counteract the progression of symptoms in an individual who has been infected. More specifically, they are protease inhibitors.
Protease inhibitors have been used in a variety of industries to inhibit virus replication in the body by blocking the enzyme that facilitates the replication process.
Paxlovid’s antiviral components (protease inhibitors) effectively prevent the coronavirus from completing its lifecycle and continuing to spread.