FDA Grants Emergency Use Authorization for Two Oral Antiviral Drugs to Treat COVID-19: Paxlovid and Molnupiravir

The FDA recently granted emergency use authorization to the first oral medication designed to treat COVID-19. The drug, named molnupiravir by Merck has the potential to reduce hospitalizations and deaths by 30 percent among high-risk people. In addition, the FDA also has authorized the emergency use of Paxlovid by Pfizer. Neither paxlovid nor molnupiravir is meant for pre-exposure or post-exposure prevention of COVID-19 or for treating those in need of hospitalization due to severe or critical COVID-19 cases. Rather, both are meant for treatment of mild-to-moderate cases in those at least 12 years old, with positive results of SARS-CoV-2 viral testing and at risk of progression to severe cases, where alternative, authorized options are not accessible or clinically appropriate. They are available by prescription only and need to be given within five days of symptom onset.