A recent study examining the effect of Paxlovid, a viral protease inhibitor, on older vaccinated adults has yielded disappointing results. Researchers analyzed data from Ontario, Canada, where treatment with Paxlovid was reserved for symptomatic adults aged 70 or older. The study focused on two age groups: those between 65-69 years old and those 70-74 years old.
Contrary to expectations, there were no significant differences in Covid-related hospitalizations, all-cause hospitalizations, or all-cause mortality between the two age groups. This finding suggests that Paxlovid may not be making a substantial impact on preventing severe coronavirus in vaccinated adults, regardless of their age.
The study’s authors point out that even if one assumes the most optimistic statistical confidence intervals, the benefits of Paxlovid appear to be minimal. In contrast, previous trials have shown an absolute risk reduction of hospitalization for unvaccinated adults of 5.5%. This raises questions about whether vaccinations alone are sufficient in preventing hospitalizations, making any additional benefit of Paxlovid less clear.
While the study’s findings do not provide conclusive evidence on Paxlovid’s effectiveness in older vaccinated adults, they do reinforce the importance of vaccination. The author who conducted this analysis personally took Paxlovid after a coronavirus infection and notes that it may not be necessary for him in the future, given the limited benefits observed in this study.
A key area of uncertainty remains: whether treatment with Paxlovid can mitigate the risks of long-term complications associated with Covid-19. The main studies on this topic have shown mixed results, and further research is needed to provide clearer guidance.
Source: https://www.science.org/content/blog-post/paxlovid-you-d-have-expected-more