Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Pfizer (PFE) Begins Clinical Study on COVID-19 Antiviral Pill

Read MoreHide Full Article

Pfizer (PFE - Free Report) announced initiation of a phase I study on its investigational, novel oral antiviral therapeutic, PF-07321332, to treat COVID-19. The study is being conducted in the United States.

The phase I study is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single- and multiple-dose escalation study to evaluate the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of PF-07321332. The phase I study progressed to multiple ascending doses after completing the dosing of single ascending doses in healthy adults.

PF-07321332 is a protease inhibitor designed to prevent viruses from replicating in cells. The candidate has shown anti-viral activity against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, as well as activity against other coronaviruses in in-vitro studies conducted to date. This means it has the potential to be used for treating COVID-19.

Pfizer’s stock has declined 3.9% so far this year compared with 0.2% decrease for the industry.

 

 

Pfizer has designed the oral candidate in such a way that it can be given at the first sign of infection without the patient requiring hospitalization or critical. Most medicines that have received emergency approval for treating COVID-19 can usually be prescribed to treat hospitalized patients or those with severe infection or patients at high risk for progressing to severe COVID-19.

Meanwhile. Pfizer’s intravenous antiviral protease inhibitor, PF-07304814, is being evaluated in a phase Ib multi-dose study as a treatment option for hospitalized COVID-19 patients. 

Merck (MRK - Free Report) is also evaluating an oral antiviral candidate, molnupiravir in a mid-stage study for treating COVID-19 in partnership with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics.

Antiviral drugs can prove to be another type of therapy to treat COVID-19 along with antibody drugs approved by the FDA. Lilly’s (LLY - Free Report) antibody drug, bamlanivimab alone and in combination with etesevimab and Regeneron’s (REGN - Free Report) antibody cocktail, REGEN-COV (casirivimab with imdevimab) are approved for emergency use by the FDA for treating COVID-19.

Pfizer and its Germany-based partner BioNTech have successfully developed a two-shot vaccine, BNT162b2, for COVID-19 in record time, which is now approved for emergency/temporary use in more than 50 countries worldwide.

Pfizer currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Time to Invest in Legal Marijuana

If you’re looking for big gains, there couldn’t be a better time to get in on a young industry primed to skyrocket from $17.7 billion back in 2019 to an expected $73.6 billion by 2027.

After a clean sweep of 6 election referendums in 5 states, pot is now legal in 36 states plus D.C. Federal legalization is expected soon and that could be a still greater bonanza for investors. Even before the latest wave of legalization, Zacks Investment Research has recommended pot stocks that have shot up as high as +285.9%

You’re invited to check out Zacks’ Marijuana Moneymakers: An Investor’s Guide. It features a timely Watch List of pot stocks and ETFs with exceptional growth potential.

Today, Download Marijuana Moneymakers FREE >>

Published in