Pfizer says its Covid-19 pill cuts hospital, death risk by nearly 90%

Pfizer on Friday said that its experimental antiviral pill for Covid-19 cut rates of hospitalisation and death by nearly 90% in high-risk adults, as the drugmaker joins the race to bring the first easy-to-use medication against the coronavirus to the U.S. market.

Pfizer said it will ask the Food and Drug Administration and international regulators to authorise its pill as soon as possible after independent experts recommended halting the company's study based on the strength of its results. Once Pfizer applies, the FDA could make a decision within weeks or months.

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Pfizer released preliminary results Friday of its study of 775 adults. Patients taking the company's drug along with another antiviral had an 89% reduction in their combined rate of hospitalisation or death after a month, compared to patients taking a dummy pill. Fewer than 1% of patients taking the drug needed to be hospitalised and no one died. In the comparison group, 7% were hospitalised and there were seven deaths.