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Pfizer’s failed blockbuster drug, Paxlovid, seemed like a promising option for long-term COVID-19 patients. Now, that hope has been dashed again.
Stanford University School of Medicine researchers this month reported that after giving paxlobriand to 155 patients for 15 days, the drug reduced No longer effective It was better than placebo at reducing the six “core” symptoms of long COVID.
In theory, this antiviral drug should be a good candidate to treat the range of symptoms of the disease, including brain fog, shortness of breath, body pain, fatigue, gastrointestinal problems, etc. In acute COVID-19, the antiviral effects of paxlobidiol have been shown to significantly reduce the chances of hospitalization and death. 89% increase For high-risk adults.
Researchers have yet to pinpoint exactly why some people with COVID-19 experience symptoms for months or even years, but the evidence is clear. Sustained antiviral replication Alternatively, molecular remnants of the virus could be potential culprits, which could lead to effective antiviral approaches.
But studies have shown this isn’t the case, and the latest trial follows other disappointing results from researchers trying to thwart long COVID with paxlovir. One study published earlier this year showed the antiviral drug Failed to prevent long-term COVID-19 The first time a vaccinated person develops the disease.
Gaining deeper insight into the impacts of Long COVID
While these studies have fallen short in clinical practice, other researchers have been mounting evidence of the serious harms of long COVID.
About 7% of U.S. adults suffer from the condition, according to a report released this month by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, a nonprofit group that provides policy advice and guidance.
The report said Long COVID is now Associated with over 200 conditions It affects “almost every organ system.” Patients with severe infection are more likely to develop long COVID-19, but even those with milder symptoms can develop the condition.
The report notes that with no FDA-approved treatments on the market for long COVID-19, patients can only receive treatments that target their specific symptoms, which generally “improve over time. But while 18% to 22% of patients who were symptomatic at six months had recovered a year later, many others’ symptoms worsen, often with symptoms resembling those of chronic, complex, multisystem diseases such as fibromyalgia.
The data support the findings of a recent survey by the Household Section of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, which found that: 7% of Americans have long-term COVID-19 illnessThe study showed that women are more affected than men (8.5% of all women surveyed vs. 5.1% of men) and that it is more prevalent among white and Hispanic Americans.
Vaccinated and unvaccinated Americans had a similar rate of long COVID (8.4%) but it was notably lower among those who received the booster shot (5.8%).Adults with chronic bronchitis, emphysema, asthma, and obesity were more likely to report suffering from long COVID.
While researchers are focused on the spread of long COVID, it could be a long time before the quest to find an effective treatment bears fruit.
There are fewer than 20 late-stage studies. ClinicalTrials.gov They’re evaluating different treatments for long COVID. In addition to other studies of paxlobidi, researchers are testing the SSRI Luvox, aspirin, and the FDA-approved heart failure drug ivabradine.
In March, the NIH Two Phase 2 trials Treatment for certain long COVID symptoms includes intravenous immunoglobulin preparations called ivabradine and Gamnex-C, as well as non-drug therapies such as a high-salt diet.
