Starting Tomorrow, People in Their 50s Will Also Take 'Paxlovid'

Over 60 or Immunocompromised → Up to '50s with Underlying Conditions'
1,275 Prescriptions in 3 Weeks... Only 4% of Domestic Supply Used

80% of Paxlovid Recipients Show 'Symptom Improvement'

Paxlovid, an oral treatment for COVID-19, has been stocked at a pharmacy in Guro-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] As prescriptions for Pfizer's oral COVID-19 treatment 'Paxlovid' gradually increase, starting from the 7th, the eligible prescription group will expand to include patients in their 50s with underlying conditions. Amid attention on whether the slow prescription pace will accelerate, a significant number of domestic Paxlovid recipients have been found to show symptom improvement.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters (CDCH) on the 6th, the prescription eligibility for Paxlovid, which was previously limited to those aged 60 and above or immunocompromised individuals, will expand from the 7th to include patients in their 50s with underlying conditions. Underlying conditions include diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney disease, chronic lung diseases (including asthma), cancer, and overweight (BMI 25 or higher). This is the second expansion of the prescription eligibility following the initial introduction on the 14th of last month, when the age limit was 65 and above, which was then lowered to 60 and above on the 22nd.

The number of institutions prescribing Paxlovid is also steadily increasing. Initially, only residents of community treatment centers and home treatment patients were eligible for prescriptions. However, the prescription institutions have gradually expanded to include nursing hospitals and facilities, infectious disease-dedicated hospitals, respiratory clinics, and COVID-19 designated medical institutions.

On the 13th of last month, the initial shipment of 21,000 doses of Pfizer's oral COVID-19 treatment, Paxlovid, arrived at the cargo terminal of Incheon International Airport, and unloading operations are underway. Photo by Airport Press Photographers Group

The authorities' continuous expansion of prescription targets and institutions appears to be a response to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant and the increasing number of COVID-19 confirmed cases, while the prescription pace remains sluggish. During the first week of prescriptions from the 14th to the 20th of last month, only 109 people were prescribed the medication, but an additional 397 received it from the 21st to the 27th. Last week, the number of eligible patients rose to 769, bringing the total number of prescriptions to 1,275. Although the number of eligible patients is increasing by about two to three times each week, considering that 32,000 doses were imported into the country last month and the authorities have set a daily prescription target of about 1,000 doses, only 4.0% of the total imported amount has been prescribed.

This phenomenon is due to the many contraindicated drugs when co-administered with Paxlovid, making prescriptions complicated. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has listed 28 contraindicated drugs for Paxlovid. Among these, 23 are currently distributed domestically, many of which are related to underlying diseases common in high-risk groups such as angina, hyperlipidemia, and arrhythmia, thus limiting prescriptions.

Meanwhile, patients who received Paxlovid prescriptions in Korea have shown significant symptom improvement. According to a survey conducted by the CDCH targeting early Paxlovid recipients, 80% responded that their symptoms improved.

This survey was conducted on 55 respondents who completed a questionnaire out of 60 patients who finished the 5-day course among the initial 63 recipients. Three patients who did not complete the course discontinued due to persistent fever and taste changes (bitter taste).

Before taking the medication, 78.2% (43 patients) reported respiratory symptoms, along with sore throat, fever, muscle pain, and headache. After completing the 5-day course, 41.8% (23 patients) responded that "all symptoms disappeared," 23.6% (13 patients) said "significantly improved," and 14.5% (8 patients) reported "partially improved." However, 18.2% (10 patients) said there was no significant change, and 1.8% (1 patient) reported symptom worsening. Side effects included taste changes (bitter taste) experienced by 69.1% (38 patients) and diarrhea experienced by 23.6% (13 patients).

Among respondents, 96.4% (53 patients) said they would recommend Paxlovid to others who contract COVID-19.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.