Pfizer and Gilead earn preferred status for COVID-19 antivirals in new CDC advisory
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Issuing a health advisory on Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) listed the COVID-19 antivirals developed by Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) and Gilead (NASDAQ:GILD) as preferred therapies to treat non-hospitalized patients who are at a high risk of developing the severe disease.
Citing COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines issued by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the CDC lists Eli Lilly (LLY)/ AbCellera Biologics (ABCL) COVID-19 antibody therapy bebtelovimab as an alternate therapy alongside molnupiravir, the COVID-19 pill developed by Merck (MRK) and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics.
The FDA granted the emergency use authorization (EUA) for the monocloncal antibody bebtelovimab early this year noting its activity against Omicron variant.
However, the CDC says that there are no study data supporting the efficacy of bebtelovimab in patients who are at high risk of severe COVID-19, and the agency highlights that molnupiravir has a lower efficacy compared to preferred therapies.
As a result, the CDC recommends their use only when preferred options, Paxlovid from Pfizer (PFE) and remdesivir from Gilead (GILD), are not available or indicated.
While Paxlovid showed about 89% efficacy, molnupiravir indicated only about 30% efficacy in reducing the risk of hospitalization or death in late-stage studies involving patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19.