COVID-19 ANTIVIRALS

Duque says DOH eyeing Paxlovid; molnupiravir efficacy down

The Department of Health (DOH) is preparing to procure COVID-19 antiviral drug Paxlovid for the Philippines, Secretary Francisco Duque III said on Friday.

Paxlovid, Duque said in an interview on Dobol B TV, yielded an efficacy rate of 89%.

“Yes. Pinaghahandaan na 'yan. Meron nang EUA (emergency use authorization) ang FDA (Food and Drug Administration) na ibinibigay para magamit itong antivirals na ito,” he said.

(Yes. We are preparing for that. The FDA already has an EUA that can be given so we can use these antivirals)

Duque made the statement when asked if the Philippines already has a supply of Paxlovid, an antiviral COVID-19 pill from Pfizer.

The US Food and Drug Administration has already authorized the use of Paxlovid

In the Philippines, FDA chief Dr. Eric Domingo said Pfizer has yet to submit its application for EUA for Paxlovid.

“Wala pang application [There is no application yet],” Domingo told GMA News Online in a text message.

Meanwhile, Duque said the efficacy of another antiviral drug, molnupiravir, which is from Merck & Co., has gone down from 50% to 30% with more data coming in.

“Yung molnupiravir medyo bumaba na yung kanyang efficacy. From 50%, nasa 30% na lang daw ngayon habang dumadami yung real-world data o yung mga gumagamit,” he said in the Dobol B TV interview.

(The efficacy of molnupiravir has been declining. From 50%, they say it is now only at 30% while more real-world data or users are coming in.)

On December 23, the FDA granted EUA to molnupiravir under the brand name Molnarz. —KBK, GMA News