It has been discovered that Zocova, a COVID-19 treatment drug developed by Shionogi & Co., Ltd. of Japan, can prevent the onset of the disease in people living with patients.
Ensitrelvir for Covid-19 Postexposure Prophylaxis in Household Contacts | New England Journal of Medicine
https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa2509306
At last, a pill that can prevent COVID after exposure to infected people
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01546-0
A pill can stop people from COVID developing after being exposed to the virus, trial finds | Live Science
https://www.livescience.com/health/coronavirus/a-pill-can-stop-people-from-developing-covid-after-being-exposed-to-the-virus-trial-finds
As of the time of writing, six years have passed since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and global lockdowns are no longer a concern. However, it remains a dangerous infection for the elderly and those with weakened immune systems, and the development of more effective treatments and preventative measures is still needed.
An international research team from Japan, the United States, and other countries investigated whether encitrelvir, an antiviral drug developed by Shionogi & Co., Ltd., reduces the risk of developing the disease after infection with the novel coronavirus. Encitrelvir works by inhibiting an enzyme called 3C-like protease , which the novel coronavirus uses to replicate itself, thereby suppressing viral replication.
For example, if a family member or roommate living in the same house develops COVID-19, it is difficult to eliminate the risk of infection entirely, even if self-isolation within the household is practiced as much as possible. However, if antiviral drugs such as encitrelvir can reduce the risk of developing the disease after exposure to the coronavirus, then family members or roommates living together could prevent the disease from developing by taking these medications.
Between June 2023 and September 2024, the research team conducted a clinical trial involving more than 2,000 people whose cohabiting family members had developed COVID-19 but who themselves had tested negative for the virus. Approximately half of the participants were randomly assigned to an experimental group that began taking encitrelvir within 72 hours of their cohabiting family member developing symptoms, while the other half were randomly assigned to a control group that began taking a placebo.
Participants took either encitrelvir or a placebo for five days, and were monitored for COVID-19 symptoms and side effects. The primary outcome was tracked up to 10 days after the onset of symptoms in a cohabiting family member. This clinical trial employed
The experiment showed that 9% of subjects who took a placebo developed symptoms of COVID-19, compared to only 2.9% of subjects who took encitrelvir. Furthermore, virus testing up to day 10 showed that 21.5% of subjects who took the placebo tested positive for the virus, regardless of whether they had symptoms, compared to only 14% of subjects who took encitrelvir.
In addition, some subjects experienced side effects, but the rate was around 15% for both those who received encitrelvir and those who received a placebo, with no significant difference between the two groups. Reported side effects included a temporary decrease in good cholesterol and an increase in blood lipid levels.
This clinical trial did not consider factors that may influence household transmission of COVID-19, such as household size or whether participants maintained social distancing. Furthermore, pregnant women and individuals taking medications that may interact with encitrelvir were not included as participants.
Nevertheless, Frederick Hayden, the lead author of the paper and professor of pathology at the University of Virginia, stated, 'This is the first clear demonstration in a properly conducted Phase III placebo-controlled, double-blind trial that there is an easily administered orally available drug that is effective when taken at the right time to protect people exposed to COVID-19 in the home.'
Encitrelvir has already been approved in Japan as a preventative drug for COVID-19. According to the academic journal Nature, regulatory authorities in the United States and Europe are also considering approving encitrelvir as a preventative drug for COVID-19, and a decision is expected in the United States within a month.
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