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Pfizer COVID pill approved in Japan, following Merck treatment

Feb 25 (Nikkei) - Japan's health ministry on Thursday approved Pfizer's COVID-19 pill Paxlovid for patients with mild to moderate symptoms, making it the second such oral medication to receive the fast-track treatment.

The government has already set aside doses of Paxlovid for 40,000 people, and delivery of the pills to health care facilities will start on Monday.

Along with vaccines, the government sees the pills as crucial to keeping COVID-19 at manageable levels. Pfizer is due to supply the government with 2 million courses of the treatment this year.

"Patients who are elderly or have underlying conditions will have another treatment option, contributing to our response" to COVID-19, Health Minister Shigeyuki Goto told reporters Thursday.

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare first received Pfizer's application for approval on Jan. 14. Paxlovid underwent fast-track consideration since it had already been authorized for emergency use in the U.S. and the European Union's drug regulator had recommended the pill for approval.

A government expert panel approved Merck's antiviral pill molnupiravir for treating COVID in December.

Paxlovid will be given to patients at risk of suffering serious COVID symptoms. The pill is recommended to be taken within five days of the onset of symptoms.

The five-day treatment course stipulates two doses a day at three pills per dose. Paxlovid should not be taken together with about 40 types of drugs, including those treating high blood pressure and high cholesterol. ...continue reading

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