US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has started giving people doses of a pill against COVID-19 as part of a new clinical trial.
The company’s oral antiviral treatment has entered a mid-to-late-stage trial and is being tested on adults with COVID-19 symptoms who have not been treated in hospital and are not at risk of becoming severely ill.
Pfizer is one of several drug manufacturers hoping to develop the first antiviral pill to be taken for early signs of the illness.
If the trial is successful, Pfizer said it would file for emergency approval between October and December this year.
The drug manufacturer said it could be prescribed at the first sign of infection, without requiring hospitalisation.
