Paxlovid’s slow, targeted deployment puts vulnerable people at risk-News @ Northeastern

Biden administration publication This week, we are taking new steps to increase access to Paxlovid, the first drug developed to treat COVID-19. The White House nearly doubles the number of places to carry medicines, supports the education of healthcare providers and the general public, and is a Test-to-Treat center where patients can test and receive medicines in a single visit. I plan to create more.

Paxrovid, a protease inhibitor that prevents the coronavirus from maturing into a full-blown infection, consists of five days. process It is a regimen and is intended to begin within 5 days of the first onset of symptoms. There are drawbacks to taking drugs, such as possible drug interactions and interference with renal function, but they have proven to be incredibly effective and hospitalize unvaccinated people. Helps reduce by up to 90%.

When the case of COVID-19 begins rise In the United States as well, new measures may be important to help get life-saving medicines in the hands of people at the highest risk of serious illness. But experts question whether the plan is sufficient to combat existing barriers to access to medicines, and whether the distribution strategy of pharmaceutical company Pfizer could disrupt other parts of the world. I think.

Raising awareness of the drug is a welcome step, according to Brandon Dionne, an associate clinical professor at Northeastern University’s Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Health Systems Science. Currently, providers are hesitant to prescribe Paxrovid, and patients may not even know it exists. Dionne says it may be due in part to an incomplete deployment strategy. When the drug was first approved for use in December 2021, the supply was low and was reserved only for the highest-risk patients.

“We were trying to prioritize patients,” says Dionne. “And in some respects, it backfired because of the lack of this massive fanfare deployment.”

Paxlovid is now more widely available, but its reputation is one of the lesser available, and doctors underprescribe it.

“Now that supply has increased, we need to make people aware,” says Dionne.

But lack of consciousness is only part of the problem when it comes to connecting people to treatment. Paxlovid is only available by prescription after the doctor confirms that the patient is positive, is part of a high-risk population, and does not experience any adverse side effects. For those who don’t have health insurance or a primary care physician, this is a significant barrier, says Dionne. In addition, even if the patient is insured and has a doctor, it can be difficult for the doctor to know who has the medicine.

“As a doctor, let’s say you want to give your patients Paxlovid. You don’t always know which pharmacy to send your prescription to,” says Dionne. “That was probably the biggest limiting factor. It’s just a mess about the process.”

Therefore, it is important that Biden plans to extend the Test-to-Treat program.Currently there are 2,200 sites Nationwide Where patients can be tested and treated at the same clinic, usually a pharmacy such as CVS. For those who do not have a PCP or insurance, these sites are the best way to get Paxlovid.

Expanding this program is a welcome step, says Brooke Baker, a professor of law in the northeast. But “still, many people who aren’t near such facilities remain discovered,” says Baker.

For example, Wyoming and North Dakota have one test-to-treatment location that does not include military installations, and South Dakota currently has zero. These “pharmacy deserts” can leave inaccessible people even after the program expands. Dionne and Baker agree that giving pharmacists normative authority is an important step in resolving this issue. In particular, due to the risk of drug interactions, the general public will not sell Paxrovid over-the-counter.

In addition, Biden is working to make Paxrovid more easily available in the United States, but the problem of inaccessibility is far more serious worldwide as Pfizer monopolizes the drug. Currently, Pfizer is the only producer of this drug.While it is licensing to 95 countries production Generic Paxlovid, Baker, says these companies will not be available until the end of the year.

“Everyone is looking at Pfizer as the only source,” says Baker.

However, according to Baker, the company has not done enough to give countries equal access to drugs, instead prioritizing the wealthiest countries. “”[Pfizer] Already, in the first half of 2022 production, only 30 million courses of treatment were given, but it has been outsourced to developed countries in advance. “While the World Fund agrees purchase 10 million courses from Pfizer, and Pfizer has agreed UNICEF Representatives of both organizations say it is not enough to secure 4 million courses to low- and middle-income countries.

“Pfizer isn’t doing enough to ensure affordability and adequate supply in low- and middle-income countries,” says Baker. “It first prioritizes selling at higher prices to rich countries.”

The unequal distribution of drugs insults the injuries of unvaccinated people around the world who are at greatest risk of experiencing the adverse effects of COVID-19.

“In many respects, people in the world who suffer from inadequate access to vaccines are the population that may be most in need of treatment,” says Baker. “And if we don’t prioritize their access … those patients are at much higher risk. In a sense, in countries that aren’t fully serviced at this time, they’re seriously ill. The risk is quite high. ”

Pfizer is also facing Accusation It’s unacceptable for Baker to block access to Paxrovid from studies investigating how it interacts with other medicines. “They need to clearly support ongoing innovation to find effective treatment plans,” he says.

As the pandemic continues, Pax Rovid has the potential to become a game changer for these people. Both Dionne and Baker agree that it is a mistake to assume that COVID-19 is under control. As the number of deaths in the United States approaches one million and the number of cases increases again, Baker said, “We are not out of the forest in the United States, nor are we out of the forest worldwide.” It states.

For media inquiriesPlease contact Shannon Narghi. [email protected] Or 617-373-5718.