Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla has said that an oral drug that the company is developing to treat COVID-19 symptoms could be available by the end of this year.

Currently, the only anti-viral drug authorized for use in COVID-19 is remdesivir which needs to be administered by injection in a healthcare setting. An oral drug like the one being developed by Pfizer could be taken at home and might help people keep out of hospitals. Getting the pill at home could be a game-changer.

The drug might be effective against the emerging variants as well, said Bourla. The oral drug works by blocking protease, an enzyme needed by the virus to replicate… (Medscape)