Thread by @ASlavitt

NEW: We take a step forward today as an FDA advisory committee approves Merck’s antiviral, the first oral anti-viral to be approved.

It has a low efficacy rate of 30%, but should pave the road for more effective drugs. 1/

The drug isn’t perfect. Its expensive— $700 per treatment (Govt paid), requires it be taken early, and people should talk to their physicians about the side effect profile. 2/

But the principle by which the drug works is promising & calls out for a future of better drugs. One of them is around the corner from Pfizer, with an 89% efficacy rate among unvaccinated people. 3/

Imagine the idea of a rapid test to determine illness followed up by a quick prescription of an effective drug. It is a powerful combination and would make a good to our growing arsenal of tools. 4/

And it’s a vision we can expect to become a reality in 2022 as we get more low cost rapid tests & the millions of courses of treatments the government purchased are produced. 5/

Even when these new drugs are available, we still will need better ones.

There are questions as to the way the drug binds to the cells to stop the virus from multiplying & whether that will be something that can the virus can grow resistant to over time. 6/

No matter. New solutions will open up smaller problems to be solved. 7/

What’s needed now more than ever is an active aggressive FDA to work on this rapid development. The nominee @califf001 is the right person hands down.

Only problem is the word “nominee.” Congress should break land speed records to approve him. 8/

Step by step scientists gain on it.

The virus grows exponentially. But so does science. /end