Pfizer's Paxlovid receives full FDA approval for COVID treatment in high-risk adults.

The US FDA has granted full approval to Pfizer's antiviral COVID-19 treatment, Paxlovid, which was initially authorized for emergency use in late 2021. The drug is taken for five days after the onset of symptoms and has shown a significant reduction in hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19, particularly in unvaccinated and higher-risk individuals. The approval allows Pfizer to expand its marketing campaign, but the US government will continue to oversee distribution and eligible residents will receive it at no charge until supplies dwindle. Pfizer has sold nearly 24 million courses of Paxlovid to the US government at around $530 per course.