There is a need for a safe and effective intervention to reduce the progression to severe COVID-19, the recovery time, and transmission rate. The currently available treatment options are monoclonal antibodies for nonhospitalized patients. Although they reduce the progression of COVID-19, their efficacy against emerging variants is unclear.
Nirmatrelvir is an orally administered antiviral drug that targets SARS-CoV-2 3-chymotrypsin–like cysteine protease enzyme, an effective antiviral target that plays a vital role in the viral replication cycle. A study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy, viral load, and safety of a combination of nirmatrelvir and ritonavir (a pharmacokinetic enhancer) in nonhospitalized COVID-19 patients who were at a high risk of disease progression. Conclusion A combination of nirmatrelvir and ritonavir showed 89.1% risk reduction compared to the placebo…
