EXPLAINER: What COVID-19 therapies are available in US?

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. recently added two new weapons to its small arsenal against the coronavirus: pills that patients can take at home to treat COVID-19.

The drugs from Pfizer and Merck join a handful of other therapies that have been shown to blunt the worst effects of the virus. But each treatment has different advantages and tends to work best for certain types of patients at different stages of the disease.

Here's a look at the current COVID-19 drugs and how they are used:

PILLS

The prescription pills are the first COVID-19 therapies that don't require infusions or injections delivered by health professionals.

The Food and Drug Administration authorized Pfizer’s Paxlovid on Wednesday and Merck’s molnupiravir on Thursday.

Merck’s drug is for adults with a positive COVID-19 test, early symptoms and who face the highest risks of hospitalization. Pfizer's is for anyone 12 and older who likewise face the highest risks of hospitalization.

Pfizer's drug is likely to become the first-choice treatment against the virus, because of its superior benefits and milder side effects. Molnupiravir carries a warning against use during pregnancy and the potential to cause birth defects. The FDA also said molnupiravir should be considered only when other treatments are unavailable or otherwise inappropriate for a patient.

Both treatments should be started soon after symptoms develop, which means patients must get tested and diagnosed quickly.

Experts predict antiviral pills eventually could be used in combination to combat COVID-19, similar to HIV drugs.

ANTIBODY DRUGS

For more than a year, antibody drugs have been the first-choice treatment for patients with early COVID-19 symptoms who don’t yet require hospitalization.

Three such drugs are authorized as treatments in the...