The FDA’s Antimicrobial Drugs Advisory Committee voted 16-1 in favor of Paxlovid, finding the medicine was protected and successful for treating COVID-19 in higher-threat adults.

Paxlovid was granted emergency use authorization in December 2021. Because then, it has been applied by millions of Americans to treat coronavirus infections.

This endorsement comes quickly just after the FDA determined the drug was successful and not linked to what has been known as “Paxlovid rebound,” when symptoms return quickly just after finishing a course of therapy.

Therapies like Paxlovid, along with fellow COVID-19 antiviral molnupiravir from Merck and Ridgeback, became far more broadly identified just after the White Home announced its Test-to-Treat initiative that aimed to give men and women fast and straightforward access to medication just after testing optimistic for a coronavirus infection.

The drug has some drawbacks, on the other hand, as it does have identified interactions with other medicines and frequently can not be prescribed if it indicates stopping an additional prescription that a patient is taking.

And although complete approval would place an additional feather in Pfizer’s cap, the organization itself is not expecting quite a few returns for this drug, at least this year. Pfizer is anticipating a steep drop in income brought in from Paxlovid for 2023, expecting a 58 % drop as the federal government ends its acquire agreement for vaccines and treatment options.