Medicine
For individuals experiencing a bout of COVID-19, the antiviral medication Paxlovid has proven to be a blessing.
The drug gained popularity as the primary antiviral treatment during the pandemic after receiving emergency-use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration in December 2021.
However, there is a new and superior antiviral to Paxlovid called Ensitrelvir, marketed as Xocova in Japan. Unfortunately, Americans cannot access it as the drug is currently stuck in the lengthy FDA approval process.
Ensitrelvir offers several advantages compared to Paxlovid.
Despite its benefits, experts predict that the new and improved drug won’t be available in the US until the end of 2024 due to the FDA’s slow approval process. Additionally, Ensitrelvir is unlikely to receive emergency-use authorization like Paxlovid, as the COVID-19 emergency was declared over in May of this year.
Nevertheless, the FDA has granted Ensitrelvir “fast-track” status, expediting the review process once the drug’s manufacturer, Shionogi of Osaka, Japan, submits the necessary documentation.
Ensitrelvir vs. Paxlovid
Ensitrelvir outperforms Paxlovid and other antivirals in several ways.
Individuals who take Ensitrelvir test negative for the virus nearly two days earlier than those who take a placebo. Symptoms such as fever, congestion, sore throat, cough, and fatigue also disappear faster with Ensitrelvir compared to Paxlovid.
“Rebound” infections, where symptoms temporarily recede and then return, are rare among Ensitrelvir users, unlike Paxlovid users. In addition, anecdotal reports suggest that Ensitrelvir has a neutral taste, whereas patients on Paxlovid have described the aftertaste as unpleasant.
Ensitrelvir is also more convenient to take, as it requires only once-a-day dosing, while Paxlovid users must take three pills twice daily for five days.
However, since the two drugs have never been directly compared in clinical trials, medical experts are withholding their full endorsement of Ensitrelvir until more data becomes available.
Loss of Smell and Taste
A new study found that Ensitrelvir effectively reduces one of the most troublesome symptoms of a COVID infection: loss of smell and taste.
After seven days, the percentage
