The Compass – The Director-General of the Food and Drug Corporation, Nizar Mhaidet, said after granting the emergency license to use Paxilvid tablets for an anti-Coronavirus from Pfizer, that the tablets are not a substitute for receiving the Corona vaccine, and he expected the private sector’s contribution to provide the tablets.

He explained that the emergency leave is given to materials that are manufactured in a hurry to ward off disease risks during an emergency situation, and is given after studying the necessary clinical files that confirm the safety and effectiveness of the product.

Files provided for emergency use registration are up-to-date with clinical files (Phase III), and therefore all studies required to confirm safety have been conducted and provided by the manufacturer.

“The clinical stages of the studies are 4 stages, and the third stage is the last before marketing, and the fourth stage is after marketing, and therefore studies that confirm the safety of the product are duly presented,” according to Moheedat.

Mahadat indicated that another company is waiting to present the same pharmaceutical form of anti-viral tablets, and these tablets are given an oral form, and there are tablets that contain two active substances that are used in certain doses for mild and moderate cases of corona infections, and “given to adults and they have adopted the age over 12 years if the weight is not less than 40 kg”, the weight is a necessary factor to give these tablets.

He talked about countries accrediting 12 years and over, and other countries accrediting 18 years and over.

These tablets do not replace the vaccine, and they are anti-viral tablets that specifically include the Corona virus, and there may be expected side effects that occur with any antiviral such as diarrhea and vomiting.

“Among the side effects of the tablets, according to clinical studies, a very small number of the study subjects had a short-term loss of taste,” Mohidat said.