New Covid Drugs Are Here—and They Could Change the Pandemic

In a long-read about the new antiviral drugs targeting COVID-19, Wired's Adam Rogers dives into how effective they have the potential to be – and whether  international licensing deals and tiered pricing will be used to ensure they reach people across the world. 

Access to Medicine Foundation CEO Jayasree Iyer tells Rogers that the two drugs in question – Merck and Ridgeback's molnupiravir, and Pfizer's Paxlovid – could have a big impact in low- and middle-income countries, especially because access to antiviral pills may be faster to secure than access to vaccines: "I think the combination of these drugs and vaccines will really make a difference... the immediate need now has an immediate drug.”

On COVID-19 vaccines, she adds: “Our hope was that the equity problem was going to be solved by companies planning for these things and governments not hoarding the vaccines a year ago" – but explains that she’s more optimistic that a second generation of vaccines will be cheaper and more widespread.

Read the full article on the Wired website.