28/01/2022 (Agence Europe) – On Friday 28 January, the European Commission granted conditional marketing authorisation to Paxlovid, an antiviral drug developed by the pharmaceutical company Pfizer. It is based on a recommendation from the EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use. After analysing preclinical and clinical data, the Committee judged the benefit-risk ratio of the drug to be positive. Paxlovid is recommended for adults with severe to moderate forms of Covid-19, who do not require supplemental oxygen but are likely to progress to a severe form of the disease. This first orally administered antiviral against Covid-19 consists of two tablets with two active substances. It aims to inhibit the replication of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. For the European Commissioner for Health, Stella Kyriakides, this type of innovative medicine represents a second line of defence after vaccination. See the EMA’s assessment report on Paxlovid: https://aeur.eu/f/2i (EV)