Anti covid pills, as of 10 February there were a total of 5,348 patients initiated for home treatment with the antiviral pill molnupiravir (Lagevrio *) by Merck (MSD outside the USA and Canada) and the first 41 patients who were administered the Pfizer pill (Paxlovid *). These are the data that emerge from the fourth report of the Italian drug agency Aifa on the monitoring of antivirals for the therapy of Covid-19. Lagevrio was prescribed in 218 facilities, Paxlovid in 29.
After the growth detected in the previous monitoring, Lagevrio prescriptions are decreasing in the latter: from 3 to 9 February they were 1,201, on average over 171 per day, equal to 9.22% less than the daily average of the week previous (189). The highest number of treatments started with the Merck pill since the start of monitoring is that of Lazio (764), while at the other extreme – with zero treatments started – it is Basilicata. In the last 7 days, Lazio (215, daily average + 6.97%), followed by Liguria (133, -11.33%) and Puglia (111, + 14.43%), received the most prescriptions of molnupiravir. .
The other antiviral monitored is remdesivir. There are two entries for this drug: as of February 9 there are a total of 2,598 non-hospitalized patients for whom treatment with this molecule has been started (Emilia Romagna and Lombardy stand out with 642 and 551 respectively) and 83,398 patients hospitalized treated with the medicine.
From February 2 to 8 remdesivir prescriptions to patients on supplemental oxygen therapy were 1,154, with a daily average of almost 165, down 16.74% compared to the previous 7 days (198). While for early treatment with remdesivir, in the same period the prescriptions were 527, with a daily average of about 75, 17.27% less than in the previous 7 days (91).