Pfizer Corona Drinking Medicine Expected Approval tomorrow Careful discussion of terms of use

On the 10th, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare will hold a subcommittee of experts to discuss approval of the new coronavirus drug developed by American pharmaceutical giant Pfizer.

Approval is expected to be approved by the subcommittee, but there are several drugs that require caution when swallowed, and the conditions for use will be carefully deliberated.

Following Pfizer's application, deliberation for approval tomorrow will be held for a drink called "Pakirovid Pack" (generic name "Nirmatrelville / Ritonavir") for patients with mild to moderate disease of the new coronavirus. It's a medicine.

An analysis of a clinical trial published by Pfizer last December found that patients at risk of aggravation had an 89% reduction in the risk of hospitalization and death if they started treatment within 3 days of onset.

Also, regarding the effect on the Omicron strain, it is said that the effect of suppressing the growth was seen when confirmed in the laboratory.

The Japanese government has agreed to receive a supply of 2 million people from Pfizer, and the approval is expected to be approved by the expert committee of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare on the 10th.

If approved, it will be the second new corona drug to be taken after the American pharmaceutical giant Merck's "Lagebrio" (generic name "Mornupiravir").

However, when this medicine is used together with some medicines, it may have a stronger effect than necessary and may adversely affect health, so care must be taken when taking it, and the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare carefully discusses the conditions of use. I'm going to do it.

Multiple contraindicated drugs

Pfizer's "Pakirovid Pack" (generic name "Nirmatrelvir / Ritonavir") is a drug that suppresses the growth of the new coronavirus and is taken at the same time as a drug used to treat AIDS.

Of these, the medicines used to treat AIDS have the effect of enhancing the effects of the medicines taken together, but depending on the type, the effects may be stronger than necessary, which may adversely affect health and life. It has been.

In Japan, it is not allowed to be used in combination with 32 types of drugs such as hypertension, arrhythmia, and depression.

Some of these, such as migraine medicines and antipyretic analgesics, are generally available at pharmacies.

The US FDA = Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization for the "Pakirovid Pack" in the United States last December, but Pfizer is requesting that it not be used in combination with 28 drugs.

In deliberating for approval, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare will discuss with experts which drugs cannot be used in combination, considering that foreigners and Japanese have different reactions to drugs.

Check the pharmacy medication status more carefully

Since it has been pointed out that new coronavirus drugs need to be taken with caution, pharmacies need to check the status of the drugs that patients usually use more carefully. increase.

At a pharmacy in Chuo-ku, Tokyo, we handle new corona medicines, receive prescriptions from medical institutions, and pharmacists teach patients how to take them by phone or online, and then deliver them directly to their homes.

We believe that new medications, when used in combination with some medications, may have adverse health effects and require more caution if approved and treated.

The medicines that patients usually use can usually be found in the questionnaire when they visit the pharmacy, but most patients with the new corona give the medicines without being able to meet face-to-face.

Also, relatively well-prescribed medications, such as sleep-promoting medications and blood pressure-lowering medications, may require caution when taken.

For these reasons, it is necessary to check the medication status more carefully.

Some of the people who have provided the new corona drug for a while have worsened their symptoms during home medical treatment, so careful follow-up is essential for new drugs.

Hiroo Inubushi, a pharmacist at Echizenbori Pharmacy, said, "I think that 10% of patients who do not have a medication notebook can say the name of the medicine they are using. Considering that they cannot actually meet. , You have to check by phone more carefully, and you have to be careful to warn that taking medicine is actually dangerous. "

Expert "Need to tell the patient whether it has an impact or accurate information"

Shinichi Oka, director of the AIDS Treatment and R & D Center at the National Center for Global Health and Medicine, who is familiar with this drug, said, "The medical side will carefully investigate whether it will have any effect when used with the drug that patients usually take. It is necessary to convey accurate information to the patient. Since it seems to be a highly effective drug, the patient should give priority to the treatment of corona first and stop taking it for that period or replace it with another drug. Don't forget to consult with your doctor or pharmacist. "