Called a 'Game Changer'... Paxlovid Still Faces Slow Prescription Progress

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] The prescription of Pfizer's oral COVID-19 treatment 'Paxlovid,' which was introduced domestically with high expectations as a 'game changer,' remains sluggish. This is the exact opposite of the government's concern about a sudden surge in demand, claiming that about 1,000 people could be treated daily.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters on the 22nd, as of the 17th, a total of 8,905 patients have been treated with Paxlovid. Since the first administration began on the 14th of last month, only 27.9% of the 31,870 doses imported over approximately five weeks have actually been administered domestically.

This is an extremely low prescription performance compared to expectations that active prescriptions after introduction would contribute to ending COVID-19. Since the medication must be administered within five days of symptom onset, it realistically should be given to mild cases, but as of midnight on that day, only 1.8% of the 490,322 home treatment patients have received it.

The main reason for this low prescription rate is the government's lukewarm stance on expanding the prescription eligibility for Paxlovid. Currently, patients eligible for Paxlovid prescriptions are those aged 60 or older, immunocompromised individuals, and patients in their 40s and 50s with underlying conditions. Although the prescription target is being gradually expanded step-by-step, prescriptions for the general public remain limited to those aged 60 and above.

The criteria for underlying conditions, which included diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney disease, chronic lung disease (including asthma), cancer, and overweight (BMI 25 or higher), have actually been narrowed. The BMI criterion was adjusted from '25 or higher' to '30 or higher.' This narrows the standard from 'overweight' to 'obese' according to the World Health Organization (WHO) BMI classification. The health authorities explained, "Considering the supply situation of the oral treatment, the existing range of underlying conditions was partially adjusted to concentrate administration on patients who need it more," adding, "The adjustment of BMI from overweight to obesity is part of this measure."

However, given that many contraindicated drugs interact with Paxlovid, making prescriptions complicated, there are ongoing calls for more proactive expansion of prescriptions. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has identified 28 contraindicated drugs for Paxlovid. Among these, 23 are currently distributed domestically, many of which are related to chronic diseases common in high-risk groups such as angina, hyperlipidemia, and arrhythmia, thus limiting prescriptions.

Meanwhile, according to authorities, the effectiveness of Paxlovid treatment is known to be excellent. Among 364 patients who took Paxlovid, none of the 352 who completed the five-day course progressed to severe illness or death. The remaining 12 discontinued treatment due to persistent fever, taste changes (bitter taste), muscle pain, tachycardia, and other symptoms.

Among 301 respondents who completed the course in a survey, 81.1% reported improvement in COVID-19 symptoms such as respiratory and throat pain. Notably, 81.5% said symptoms improved within three days of starting treatment. Taste changes (bitter taste), reported as a common side effect, were experienced by 73.8%. However, 75.6% of those said the symptoms disappeared within three days after completing the medication.

These results are similar to the analysis of 63 initial patients released on the 31st of last month. Among 60 who completed the course, 55 responded to the survey, with 80% (44 people) reporting symptom improvement.

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