Authors: Jared S. Hopkins<\/a> Apr. 29, 2022 The Wall Street Journal<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Covid-19 pill from Pfizer<\/a> Inc. failed to prevent symptomatic infections in adults who had been exposed to the pandemic virus, a late-stage study found.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pfizer said Friday that the drug, named Paxlovid, failed the study\u2019s main objective of meaningfully reducing the risk of confirmed and symptomatic Covid-19 infections<\/a> in adults who were exposed to the virus by someone in their household.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Paxlovid was cleared for use in December<\/a> by U.S. health regulators to treat people 12 years and older early in the course of their disease who are at high risk of developing severe Covid-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The treatment consists of two components, nirmatrelvir and a widely used generic antiviral, and is taken twice daily for five days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The pill\u2019s key advantage over other Covid-19 treatments has been that it can be taken at home to avoid hospitalization. Another antiviral pill,<\/a> from Merck<\/a> & Co. and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics LP, has also been cleared for use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Paxlovid\u2019s authorization was based on a late-stage study finding the pill was highly effective at safely cutting the risk of hospitalization or death when taken within five days of symptoms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pfizer has also been studying the drug for other uses, including whether it could prevent disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a 2,957-subject trial testing whether Paxlovid could also work preventively, researchers found that the risk of developing an infection declined by 32% in subjects who received Paxlovid for five days compared with people who got a placebo, and declined 37% in people who received treatment for 10 days, Pfizer said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The results weren\u2019t statistically significant and failed the study\u2019s primary endpoint, Pfizer said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhile we are disappointed in the outcome of this particular study, these results do not impact the strong efficacy and safety data we\u2019ve observed in our earlier trial for the treatment of Covid-19 patients at high risk of developing severe illness, and we are pleased to see the growing global use of Paxlovid in that population,\u201d Pfizer Chief Executive Albert Bourla said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Researchers didn\u2019t observe any serious safety concerns and the safety profile was consistent with previous Paxlovid studies, Pfizer said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pfizer continues to study Paxlovid in patients who are at low risk of developing severe disease to see if it can reduce the risk of hospitalization and death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n