By Michael Erman
(Reuters) – A 15-day course of Paxlovid, Pfizer’s COVID-19 antiviral treatment, did not relieve symptoms of long COVID, according to a study by Stanford University researchers.
Currently, there are no proven treatments specifically for long COVID in which a multitude of symptoms can persist for several months after initial coronavirus infection.
Scientists and patients had hoped Pfizer’s two-drug oral treatment would relieve long COVID symptoms after anecdotal reports from patients saying Paxlovid helped them.
But the 15-week study, conducted with 155 participants, failed to demonstrate that a 15-day treatment helped more than a placebo in reducing fatigue, brain fog, shortness of breath, aches or pains. gastrointestinal or cardiovascular symptoms. On average, trial participants had been ill for more than 16 months before enrolling in the trial.
“We did not see a measurable difference based on patient-reported outcomes for all six composite symptoms combined,” Stanford professor of medicine Dr. Upinder Singh said in an interview. “We also did not see any benefit on individual symptoms.”
Dr Singh said she thought further study of treatment for long COVID still had merit, perhaps in treatments lasting longer than 15 days or in patients who have not been ill for that long .
The study showed that Paxlovid, which is currently prescribed as a 5-day course shortly after infection or the onset of symptoms, is safe when used for 15 days, she added.
Pfizer said in a statement that the results will not impact its other planned collaborative studies of Paxlovid as a potential treatment for long COVID.
Paxlovid is the most commonly prescribed at-home treatment for COVID-19 in the United States. It is approved to treat COVID in adults at risk of serious complications from the disease.
In Pfizer’s initial clinical trial, Paxlovid was shown to reduce COVID hospitalizations and deaths by about 90% in unvaccinated people at risk of severe disease. In another trial, Pfizer was unable to demonstrate benefit for people considered at standard risk, including vaccinated patients.
Pfizer funded the long COVID trial. In addition to the Stanford researchers, scientists from Kaiser Permanente North California and Pfizer also contributed to the study.
(Reporting by Michael Erman; editing by Bill Berkrot)
