INTERNATIONAL: Pfizer expects its news experimental COVID-19 antiviral drug Paxlovid to be effective against the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, Chief Executive Officer Albert Bourla has announced on Monday.

Mr, Bourla has said that they are highly confident that the drugs they are manufacturing will work for all known mutations, including the Omicron one, and still working on follow up drugs for the eventual case that maybe a resistance is developed. And the CEO also says that they are optimistic that treatments will not be affected, nor the oral treatment as well will not be affected by Omicron.

He has also declared that Pfizer made their first DNA template last Friday, which is the first part of the manufacturing of the development process of a new vaccine, and that the pharmaceutical company has made multiple times clear that they will be able to have a vaccine in less than 100 days. He also claims that they have built one for Delta, but decided not to use because the current vaccine is very effective against Delta and also built one for Beta, which also didn't have to use.

Pfizer has applied for emergency authorization of Paxlovid last week after reporting data showing that it was 89 percent effective at preventing hospitalization or death in at-risk people.

^{PHOTO: PFIZER CEO ALBERT BOURLA SOUNDBITES}