Pfizer reported on testing a drug against coronavirus. Its effectiveness in protecting against hospitalization is almost 90%

Pfizer has announced the completion of the second phase of trials of a coronavirus drug. Its effectiveness against severe illness and death was 89%.

The medicine is called Paxlovid, it is available in capsules.

The studies involved 1.2 thousand patients with coronavirus from risk groups. Only 0.8% of those who took medication during the first three days after getting symptoms ended up in the hospital. In the placebo group, this figure was 7%.

During the trial, not a single person who received the drug died, while in the placebo group, the disease ended in death in 1.6% of people.

Pfizer said it was suspending trials due to "amazing performance" and is starting to prepare documents for submission to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The company's shares rose more than 10% on the news.

• On November 4, the United Kingdom was the first in the world to approve the use of Merck's drug molnupiravir against coronavirus. The effectiveness of this drug for severe development of the disease during the trials was only 50%.