Pfizer, an American pharmaceutical company, has initiated an initial clinical trial of an oral COVID-19 treatment in pill form.
Named'PF-07321332', this antiviral drug inhibits an enzyme called protease, preventing the virus from replicating itself in cells in the body.
For this reason, Pfizer expects that it will be effective in stopping the worsening of symptoms if taken mainly by patients in the early stages of infection.
These protease inhibitors are mainly used to treat viral pathogens such as AIDS virus and hepatitis C.
Pfizer said, "To cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, both vaccination prevention and treatment for infected people are necessary." "It is essential to have measures for this."
Pfizer explained that oral antiviral drugs have already shown potent effects in suppressing the Corona 19 virus in preclinical studies.
In particular, since this treatment is in pill form, patients are expected to be able to take it easily at home without having to be admitted to the hospital and consulted by a medical professional.
Pfizer plans to reveal details about oral antiviral drugs at the Spring American Chemical Society event on the 6th of next month.
Pfizer is also conducting clinical trials on antiviral drugs administered intravenously to hospitalized patients.