An experimental oral treatment for COVID-19 produced by American pharmaceutical giant Pfizer could be available by the end of the year, CEO Albert Bourla told CNBC on Tuesday.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
The pharmaceutical company, which developed the first coronavirus vaccine authorized in the United States with German drug maker BioNTech, began Phase 1 clinical trials in March to test the new antiviral therapy.
"If the clinical trials go well and the United States Food and Drug Administration approves it, the drug could be distributed in the United States by the end of the year," Bourla said.
Named PF-07321332, the new drug is a protease inhibitor that prevents the virus from replicating in cells.
Protease inhibitors have been effective in treating other viral pathogens such as HIV and hepatitis C virus, both alone and in combination with other antivirals.
On Wednesday, the head of the BioNTech laboratory, Ugur Sahin, said he was "confident" in the efficacy of the vaccine against the Indian variant.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
BioNTech and Pfizer have already tested their vaccine on more than 30 variants, each time obtaining at least a "sufficient immune response," added Sahin.
The serum will however require a booster, between six and nine months after the second injection, then "every 12 to 18 months."
i24NEWS contributed to this report.
