He said the drug is intended for outpatient treatment of patients with coronavirus disease at a briefing.
"As announced earlier, Ukraine has signed an agreement with Pfizer on the basic conditions for the purchase of innovative Paxlovid drugs for outpatient treatment of patients with coronavirus disease," Lyashko said.
According to the minister, 300 thousand drug courses have been contracted for purchase.
The drug makes it possible to prevent complications, hospitalizations, and deaths of patients with COVID-19 from risk groups.
Pfizer pills effectiveness
In November 2021, Pfizer announced the results of its clinical trials on Paxlovid. This drug is produced in the form of tablets for oral administration.
The trials were carried out on unvaccinated coronavirus patients at high risk of hospitalization due to health problems (heart disease, diabetics, etc.).
There were six hospitalizations and zero deaths among the 607 trial participants who took Paxlovid. Among the 612 patients taking a placebo, there were 41 hospitalizations and ten deaths.
When the drug is prescribed within three days after the onset of symptoms of coronavirus, it shows effectiveness against hospitalization and mortality at the level of 89%. If treatment is started within five days of symptoms, this rate drops to 85%.
The use of these drugs will help prevent complications, hospitalizations, and deaths of high-risk patients with COVID-19.
