Pfizer said Tuesday it has begun an early clinical trial of an experimental oral antiviral drug for Covid-19.
The New York-based company said the phase one trial of the drug – dubbed PF-07321332 – is being conducted in the United States. The drug is part of a class of drugs called protease inhibitors and works by inhibiting an enzyme that the virus needs to multiply in human cells.
Protease inhibitors are used to treat other viral pathogens such as HIV and hepatitis C.
“Fighting the COVID-19 pandemic requires both vaccination prevention and targeted treatment of those who contract the virus,” Mikael Dolsten, Pfizer’s chief scientific officer, said in a release. “Given how SARS-CoV-2 mutates and the ongoing global impact of COVID-19, it seems likely that access to therapeutic options will be critical both now and after the pandemic.”
The trial is because Pfizer is also working on an intravenously administered protease inhibitor known as PF-07304814. That drug is currently in a phase 1b clinical trial in patients hospitalized with Covid-19.
A person walks past the Pfizer building in New York City, March 2, 2021.
Carlo Allegri | Reuters
Pfizer already has an authorized vaccine in the US with German drug manufacturer BioNTech, but health experts say the world will still need a range of drugs and vaccines to end the pandemic, affecting more than 29.8 million Americans. infected and killed at least 542,991 in a short time. according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University.
The company said preclinical studies have shown that the oral drug, the first oral protease inhibitor for Covid-19 to be evaluated in clinical trials, exhibits “potent” antiviral activity against the virus.
Because it is taken by mouth, the drug can be used outside of hospitals for people newly infected with the virus. Researchers hope the medication will prevent the disease from progressing and keep people out of the hospital.
Pfizer said it will provide more details about the drug at the Spring American Chemical Society meeting April 6.