Pfizer said Tuesday that it has begun an early-stage clinical trial of an experimental oral antiviral drug for Covid-19.
The New York-based company said the first phase of the drug process, called PF-07321332, is being conducted in the United States. The drug is part of a class of drugs called protease inhibitors and works by inhibiting an enzyme that the virus needs to replicate in human cells.
Protease inhibitors are used to treat other viral pathogens such as HIV and hepatitis C.
“Addressing the COVID-19 pandemic requires both vaccine prevention and specific treatment for those who contract the virus,” Mikael Dolsten, chief scientific officer at Pfizer, said in a press release. “Given the way SARS-CoV-2 is mutating and the continued global impact of COVID-19, it seems likely to be critical to have access to therapeutic options both now and outside the pandemic.”
The assay comes when Pfizer is also working on an intravenously administered protease inhibitor, known as PF-07304814. This drug is currently in a phase 1b clinical trial in patients hospitalized with Covid-19.
A person passes in front of the Pfizer building in New York City on March 2, 2021.
Carlo Allegri | Reuters
Pfizer already has a U.S.-authorized vaccine with German pharmacist BioNTech, but health experts say the world will still need a series of drugs and vaccines to end the pandemic, which has infected more than 29.8 million Americans and has killed at least 542,991 in just over a year, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
The company said preclinical studies have shown that the oral drug, the first protease inhibitor taken orally for Covid-19 that was evaluated in clinical trials, demonstrates “potent” antiviral activity against the virus.
Because it is taken orally, the drug could be used outside of hospitals for people recently infected with the virus. Researchers hope the medication will prevent the progression of the disease and keep people out of the hospital.
Pfizer said it will provide more details about the drug at its April 6 Spring American Chemical Society meeting.