President Biden speaks during an event in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. Photo: Oliver Contreras/Sipa/Bloomberg via Getty Images
President Biden said Tuesday his administration has ordered enough of Pfizer's COVID-19 antiviral pills to treat 10 million Americans, after the company reported the drug reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by 89% in high-risk adults.
Why it matters: Oral antiviral drugs designed to prevent or treat COVID-19 could be key pandemic-fighting tools — something Biden noted in his announcement hours before the coronavirus death toll surpassed 800,000 in the U.S.
What he's saying: Biden said in a statement he's "encouraged" by Pfizer's Phase 2/3 data on its Paxlovid pill, which the company has shared with the FDA as part of its ongoing rolling submission for Emergency Use Authorization.
- "Getting vaccinated and getting your booster shot remain the most important tools we have to save lives," he said.
- "But if this treatment is indeed authorized — and once the pills are widely available — it will mark a significant step forward in our path out of the pandemic."
Go deeper ... Biden official warns: COVID explosion imminent