SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — Medical providers in San Diego County will soon have a new option for treating COVID-19 patients after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued emergency use authorizations for two new oral antiviral medications. However, supplies of these medications will initially be very limited and San Diegans should continue to mask up this holiday season to prevent infection.
The county expects its first shipment of Pfizer’s Paxlovid in the coming days. A second oral antiviral, Merck’s molnupiravir, is expected to start arriving in the region soon after.
A prescription from a medical provider will be required for either drug. Both Paxlovid and molnupiravir are administered over the course of several days in pill form. Both will be available to patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 symptoms who are at risk of progressing to severe coronavirus disease, including hospitalization or death.
“The FDA’s emergency use authorization of these new oral antivirals comes at a critical point in the pandemic as we see an increase in cases and a rapid spread of the omicron variant,” said Wilma J. Wooten, M.D., M.P.H., County public health officer. “However, news of the arrival of these drugs does not mean we can let our guard down. We need to continue to mask up, especially in crowded indoor spaces, and I urge anyone who has not gotten vaccinated, or is overdue for their booster shot, to get vaccinated as soon as possible.”
Once the new oral antiviral treatments arrive in the region, they will initially be distributed through about two dozen area pharmacies. Pharmacy locations were pre-selected by the California Department of Public Health. The amount each pharmacy is receiving is based on community impact from the pandemic.
Local health care leaders say the timing of the FDA's approval of these anti-viral treatments, as the omicron surge continues, is critical.
"We are calling it a Christmas present, absolutely," said Suzanne Shea, vice-president of system pharmacy and clinical nutrition at Sharp Healthcare in San Diego.
The federal government believes both new treatments will work against omicron, and help keep more people battling COVID-19 out of the hospital.
"If we can free up those beds, help out our staff and keep people at home, that is a huge game changer," Shea added.
The treatment options will provided by prescription to those patients who are at highest risk of serious illness from COVID-19.
"We are looking at patients who maybe can't have an immune response, or elderly patients, or people with other conditions that would put them in a situation where they would most likely become hospitalized and get seriously ill," Shea explained.
While clinical studies show Pfizer's treatment is nearly 90% effective, Merck's drug was shown to be less effective in reducing hospitalizations and deaths.
In the meantime, the focus nationwide is on manufacturing more of both of these treatments.
"All tools are on the table, including the use of the Defense Production Act to get Pfizer the things they need to produce this anti-viral as quickly as possible," said White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki.
Pfizer plans to ship out 250,000 treatment courses nationwide in the next month, while Merck says it will be able to ship out one million of its treatment courses within the next few weeks. Both treatment will be free to patients in the United States.
The state and county will expand distribution to more pharmacy locations as supplies increase.
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