Indonesia approves Paxlovid for COVID-19 treatment

The Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) of Indonesia has approved emergency use of Paxlovid to serve the treatment of COVID-19 patients.(Photo: freshgooglenews.com)

Jakarta (VNA) – The Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) of Indonesia has approved emergency use of Paxlovid to serve the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

In its press release, BPOM said Paxlovid is approved to treat adult COVID-19 patients who do not require supplemental oxygen and are at high risk for severe symptoms.

Phase II and III clinical trials showed that Paxlovid, produced by the US firm Pfizer, helps reduce the risk of hospitalisation or death by 89 percent in severe COVID-19 adult patients with comorbidities who were not hospitalised.

The study also showed that Paxlovid is safe with mild to moderate side effects such as taste disorder, diarrhea, headache and vomiting.

Paxlovid is one of the five COVID-19 treatment drugs approved by BPOM, including the antivirals Favipiravir and Remdesivir (2020), the monoclonal antibody Regdanvimab (2021) and Molnupiravir (2022).

Indonesia is currently facing a surge in the transmission of COVID-19 cases triggered by Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5./.