Study suggests Paxlovid is effective against the Omicron variant in over 65s

[bennevisplace]

...but is it ineffective in younger age groups?

The issue is, the study in question nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/N... looked at "Nirmatrelvir Use and Severe Covid-19 Outcomes during the Omicron Surge" in Israel, while elsewhere Nirmatrelivir is authorised to be given with Ritonavir, the two oral antivirals being co-packaged as Paxlovid.

This would seem to support / qualify earlier indications of Paxlovid's effectiveness against Omicron usnews.com/news/health-news...

This observational, retrospective cohort study was based on data obtained from electronic medical records for members of Clalit Health Services (CHS), a large health care organization that covers approximately 52% of the entire Israeli population and almost two thirds of older adults. The study period started on January 9, 2022, which was the first day that nirmatrelvir was administered to CHS members, and ended on March 31, 2022. During the study period, the omicron variant was the dominant strain in Israel.

The study population comprised all CHS members who were 40 years of age or older, had confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, received a diagnosis of Covid-19 as outpatients, were assessed as being at high risk for progression to severe disease, and were deemed eligible to receive nirmatrelvir therapy.

Results

A total of 109,254 patients met the eligibility criteria, of whom 3902 (4%) received nirmatrelvir during the study period. Among patients 65 years of age or older, the rate of hospitalization due to Covid-19 was 14.7 cases per 100,000 person-days among treated patients as compared with 58.9 cases per 100,000 person-days among untreated patients (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.27; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.15 to 0.49). The adjusted hazard ratio for death due to Covid-19 was 0.21 (95% CI, 0.05 to 0.82). Among patients 40 to 64 years of age, the rate of hospitalization due to Covid-19 was 15.2 cases per 100,000 person-days among treated patients and 15.8 cases per 100,000 person-days among untreated patients (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.35 to 1.58). The adjusted hazard ratio for death due to Covid-19 was 1.32 (95% CI, 0.16 to 10.75).

Conclusions

Among patients 65 years of age or older, the rates of hospitalization and death due to Covid-19 were significantly lower among those who received nirmatrelvir than among those who did not. No evidence of benefit was found in younger adults.

As with any scientific paper, it's worth reading the discussion, especially the part beginning "Our study has several limitations..."

[bennevisplace]

Good point. I believe there are some strong contraindications with Paxlovid that are well documented, so we are fortunate to have alternative treatments for Covid19.