Mexico authorizes Pfizer drug for emergency use for coronavirus

Government Mexican approved this Friday the emergency use of the oral drug paxlovid, developed by the American pharmaceutical company Pfizer, as a treatment against covid-19.

“The medicine (…) in tablet presentation, will be used to treat adult patients with mild or moderate covid-19 and at risk of complications,” explained the Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risks (Cofepris) of Mexico in a statement. .

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Cofepris assured that a medical prescription will be needed for its use “considering the use and risk factors detailed in the authorization letter to avoid misuse of this medicine.”

According to Pfizer, the consumption of these tablets reduces the risk of hospitalization or death in adults by 89% of cases.

Paxlovid is the second drug approved by the Government in a week.

On January 8, the emergency use of molnupiravir, from the pharmaceutical company Merck, was also endorsed.

“These treatments will be key to reducing hospitalizations in Mexico, which is why we celebrate being the first country in Latin America to authorize their emergency use,” said Alejandro Svarch Pérez, head of Cofepris.

According to the information provided, paxlovid has been authorized by regulatory agencies in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Korea.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is still studying the possibility of granting a European license to the pill as a treatment for patients over 12 years of age with mild to moderate covid.

This emergency approval comes amid a fourth wave of infections in the country that has broken all records.

In recent weeks there has been a huge spike in daily positives, with an all-time high on January 12 of more than 44,000 new cases.

The country adds 4.25 million infections and 300,912 deaths, being the fifth country in the world for absolute numbers of deaths from covid.

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George Wilson