The American Medicines Authority (FDA) has approved the use of the corona pills from pharmaceutical company Pfizer.
This makes it the first drug against Covid that can be used in the United States, albeit only for patients with a high health risk who are older than 12 years.
The drug is called Paxlovid and may recently also be used in Europe. Paxlovid comprises two pills. One pill holds the substance PF-07321332, the other ritonavir. It should be taken together twice a day for five days.
The FDA called the approval “a major step forward in the fight against this global pandemic”. Officially, Paxlovid has not yet passed the FDA screening, but the experts think the Pfizer drug is safe enough to start using.
The FDA is also expected to approve the use of a pill from competitor Merck, which operates in Europe under the name MSD, in the near future. That drug is called molnupiravir.