Additional reports of patients with long COVID who were helped by Pfizer Inc's (NYSE:PFE) oral antiviral treatment Paxlovid have surfaced, providing momentum for conducting clinical trials to test the treatment, Reuters wrote.
Three new case studies follow earlier reports of long COVID patients who experienced relief of their symptoms after taking Paxlovid.
Related: Two long COVID Patients Recover After Pfizer's Therapy; Side Effects, Safety Needs To Be Assessed.
In a report, the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) researchers detailed cases of three patients who developed long-term symptoms after COVID-19 infections.
In two cases, the patients "were able to access Paxlovid antiviral therapy and feel that their long COVID symptoms improved substantially," said Dr. Michael Peluso.
In the third, a patient was given the drug as prescribed to treat an acute infection. While his symptoms improved at first, they rebounded shortly after he stopped taking the drug, and the man later developed long COVID.
Related: FDA Berates Pfizer CEO's Suggestion To Take More Paxlovid If COVID-19 Symptoms Rebound
"It provides evidence that we really need to study this soon, and ... systematically, which means randomized trials," said Peluso. He added the UCSF team would love to conduct such a study, but it would require funding from agencies.
Pfizer spokesman Kit Longley said the company does not have any current long COVID studies underway but monitors data from ongoing studies and real-world evidence and may further explore the issue.
Price Action: PFE shares are up 0.45% at $48.67 during the market session on the last check Friday.
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