Pfizer’s pill against the virus could be ready later this year

A pill that’s being developed by Pfizer as a potential cure for COVID-19 could be ready later this year if the trials are successful, a report said. The antiviral drug, PF-07321332, is designed to attack the “spine” of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to prevent it from replicating in the nose, throat and lungs.

The antiviral pill prevents the virus from spreading inside the body by blocking an enzyme that coronavirus needs to copy itself. The treatment belongs to a class of drugs known as protease inhibitors. The medication would be prescribed to patients at the first sign of infection with COVID-19. According to clinicaltrials.gov, the Covid pill trials are already underway with volunteers between the ages of 18 and 60 at two Pfizer locations, one in New Haven, Connecticut, and the other in Brussels, Belgium. The ongoing trial is split into three phases, running for a total of 145 days, meaning it is set to conclude in mid-July. The first phase is concluding in May and, if larger trials go well, the drug could be distributed to hospitals and doctors’ offices by autumn 2021. More trials would be needed to determine how the drug works with people infected with COVID-19.