Some information from the Health Canada (HC) website (link) with comments in italics for general awareness
- This information was provided by the drug’s manufacturer when this drug product was approved for sale in Canada. (implies HC may or may not have appropriately evaluated the information but approved the drug anyway) This leaflet was prepared by Pfizer Canada ULC, Last Revised June 13, 2022
- It is a summary of information about the drug and will not tell you everything about it. (implies the approval is granted without knowing the necessary information about the drug).
- Contact your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions about the drug. (doctors or pharmacists do not know more except what is provided to them or common knowledge)
- PAXLOVID is used in adults to treat mild to moderate coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in patients who: have a positive result from a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) viral test. (There is no viral test available at present – this is false information).
- COVID-19 is caused by a virus called coronavirus. (There is no evidence of it as no virus has ever been found or isolated from any patient.)
- PAXLOVID contains two antiviral medicines copackaged together, nirmatrelvir and ritonavir. (These two separate drugs (potent chemicals) are provided in a blister pack rather than as currently available in separate bottles or packing. It is like packing two tablets of Advil and one tablet of Tylenol individually in a blister pack. It is not clear why it would be called or considered a new drug with a new name. These are old drugs, apparently with a new suggested indication).
- To be used no longer than 5 days in a row, usually 30 tablets per course (Thirty tablets course at US$530, i.e., US$17 a pill. It could be argued that it will be far cheaper if the same drugs are obtained from a chemical supplier. However, as a result, the efficacy and marketing “claims” of PAXLOVID will evaporate in smoke quickly (link).
- PAXLOVID stops the virus from multiplying. (A false claim, drugs have not been tested against this claim because no virus specimen is available at present to test).
- This can help your body to overcome the virus infection and may help you get better faster. (Infections are usually treated with anti-infectious medicine such as antibiotics, not with antivirals. Vaccines are considered to protect from viruses)
In short, PAXLOVID is not a new drug or product but a new package or dosage regimen of two old antiviral drugs. It is important to note that, as in the case of vaccine development for COVID-19 (link), the efficacy assessment of the product is not based on the actual scientific or experimental data using the virus (SARS-COV-2). Currently, no drug or vaccine can be tested against the virus or with patients, as the virus’s presence or isolation has not been established yet.