Ensitrelvir Effective As Post-Exposure Prophylaxis Against SARS-CoV-2, Study Finds

Healio (3/28, Feller) reported a study found that “ensitrelvir reduced transmission of SARS-CoV-2 by 67% when given to uninfected household contacts of a person with COVID-19 within 3 days of that person developing symptoms.” The FDA “granted ensitrelvir fast-track designation as a COVID-19 therapeutic in 2023 and an additional fast-track designation earlier this year for use as post-exposure prophylaxis.” Researchers concluded, “The ensitrelvir post-exposure prophylactic reductions in COVID-19 events within households suggest a potential for protection in other settings where there is virus transmission, such as outbreaks in acute- or long-term care facilities.” The study was presented at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections.