Pfizer asks Brazilian regulators to authorize Covid antiviral pill

Pfizer has applied to Brazil’s federal health regulatory agency Anvisa to authorize its antiviral pill to treat Covid patients at high risk of developing severe infections. The drug, sold under the brand name Paxlovid, gained approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on December 22 for patients aged 12 and over.

The European Union, Canada, and China have also approved the use of the drug.

The pharmaceutical giant says Paxlovid is highly effective when taken soon after people start feeling sick — and laboratory studies suggest the pill is likely to work against the Omicron variant. 

Last week, Pfizer — whose vaccine developed with Germany’s BioNTech was the first to get definitive approval from Brazilian regulators — forecast more than USD 50 billion in 2022 sales for its coronavirus jab and therapeutic treatment. The company claims to be in negotiations with over 100 governments to sell Paxlovid.

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