Pfizer Covid-19 pill approved by European Medicines Agency

The drug was cleared by regulators in the US and the UK in late December, although authorities noted that supplies would be extremely limited

The EMA’s expert committee recommended the pill be given to adults who do not require oxygen and who are at higher risk of severe disease. File Picture: AP Photo/Valentin Bianchi

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recommended that Pfizer’s coronavirus antiviral drug be authorised for use in the 27-nation European Union, the first time the agency has recommended a pill for treating Covid-19.

In a statement on Thursday, the EU drug regulator said giving the green light to Pfizer’s Paxlovoid could help people infected with Covid-19 avoid more serious disease and being admitted to hospital.