Combining the treatment of COVID-19 drugs Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir) and Norvir (ritonavir) can interact with many commonly prescribed cardiovascular medications.
Remdesivir and Paxlovid are two antiviral drugs that have been used to treat COVID-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Both drugs have been the subject of controversy and legal action.
Remdesivir, developed by the biopharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences, received emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2020 for the treatment of COVID-19. It was one of the first drugs to be used against the disease and was initially hailed as a potential “miracle drug.” However, subsequent studies have shown mixed results regarding its effectiveness in treating COVID-19.
Paxlovid, developed by the pharmaceutical company PaxVax, is a modified version of an existing antiviral drug called lopinavir. It was granted emergency use authorization by the FDA in 2020 for the treatment of COVID-19 in hospitalized patients. Like Remdesivir, Paxlovid has also shown mixed results in terms of its effectiveness in treating COVID-19.
Nirmatrelvir is an antiviral medication developed by Pfizer which acts as an orally active 3C-like protease inhibitor. It is part of a nirmatrelvir/ritonavir combination used to treat COVID-19 and sold under the brand name Paxlovid. And Ritonavir is used together with other medicines for the treatment of the infection caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV is the virus that causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).
FACT SHEET FOR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS: EMERGENCY USE AUTHORIZATION FOR PAXLOVID
This is a developing story.
If you or a loved one has suffered from the interaction of these drugs, we would like to hear from you.