(Washington) The Biden administration will double its order for anti-COVID-19 treatment from the Pfizer laboratory to 20 million from 10 million previously, a White House spokesperson said on Tuesday.
“This is a significant increase in the treatments available in our medicine cabinet,” said Kevin Munoz on Twitter.
The US executive had spent $ 5.29 billion for its initial order of 10 million treatments, which can be taken at home when symptoms appear.
US President Joe Biden is meeting on Tuesday, starting at 3 p.m., his team dedicated to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, of which the United States is currently undergoing a new wave.
The American giant’s COVID-19 pill was urgently authorized on December 22 by the United States Medicines Agency (FDA).
This antiviral medicine may be given to high-risk patients 12 years of age and older.
Pfizer’s treatment, marketed as Paxlovid, consists of a combination of two pills taken twice a day for five days, upon diagnosis and within five days of onset of symptoms, the FDA says.
The pill from the American laboratory can reduce hospitalizations and deaths in people at risk by 88% when taken in the first five days after the onset of symptoms, according to clinical trials.
The American authorities have also authorized urgently a treatment from the Merck laboratory, intended for adults at high risk.