Use of Pfizer’s Paxlovid Spikes by 315 Percent

Pfizer’s oral antiviral COVID-19 treatment Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir, ritonavir) has seen a 315 percent increase in use in the U.S. over the past four weeks, raising concerns about the future supply.

Out of 3.3 million available courses, 668,954 courses of the drug were administered — almost 115,000 courses dispensed in the first week of May alone.

The increased prescribing of Paxlovid reflects the significant increase in COVID-19 cases. On May 16, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put the seven-day moving average of new cases at 94,199, which is more than three times what it was on April 1.

As of May 14, the majority of COVID-19 cases were associated with the SARS-CoV-2 subvariants Omicron BA.2 and Omicron BA.2.12.1.