European Medicines Agency green lights Pfizer COVID-19 pill

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has approved Pfizer’s COVID-19 pill Paxlovid, the first oral antiviral treatment for the virus to be authorised in Europe.  

The medicines watchdog said that it “recommended authorising Paxlovid for treating Covid-19 in adults who are at increased risk of the disease becoming severe."

The treatment is comprised of two types of tablets and is the first COVID-19 therapy that can be taken at home. The pill is approved for use in adults only. 

Paxlovid has been authorised in the United States, Canada, and Israel.  

The European Union has authorised member states to use it ahead of formal approval due to the emergence of the Omicron variant.

The working theory is that because the pill does not target a spike in protein as the vaccine does, it should be variant-proof.

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