김 은 영중앙대학교 약학대학, 데이터 사이언스·근거기반 임상약학 및 약물치료학연구실
COVID-19의 첫 번째 사례가 발생한 지 약 2년을 지나오며 COVID-19 백신과 치료법을 찾기 위한 글로벌 공동체의 노력으로 단기간에 걸친 백신의 개발과 보건의료계의 수많은 노력에도 불구하고 여러 변종들의 출현 등 COVID-19는 아직 끝나지 않았다. 보건복지부(MOHW)에 따르면 2022년 1월 3일 00시 기준 국내 코로나19 확진자는 639,083명, 사망자는 5,694명이다.
개발된 COVID-19 백신이 높은 효능을 보여주지만, 백신 접종의 금기 등 백신을 맞을 수 없는 환자들은 어려움을 겪을 수 있고, 백신접종을 하였으나 일부 돌파 감염의 위험도 보고되고 있다.
최근 보도에 따르면 중환자실과 병상의 부족과 점점 더 많은 환자들이 체외막산소화(ECMO)를 필요로 하고 있어 입원 및 치료의 우선 순위 결정에 어려움을 주고 있다. 변종바이러스들의 알려지지 않은 장기적 우려와 의료 시스템의 과부하를 초래하는 이러한 급속한 확산 속에 경증에서 중등도의 COVID-19 환자 중 중증으로의 진행 위험이 높은 위험인자(결핵, HIV감염, 심혈관질환, 다운증후군 등)를 가진 환자들에 대한 효과적인 치료는 의료시스템의 과부하를 막고, 외래에서의 효과적인 치료를 가능하게 한다.
최근 중간분석결과를 통해 긴급사용승인을 받고 있는 경구용 항바이러스제인 라게브리오(Legeviro, Merck & Ridgeback's)및 팍스로비드(Paxlovid, Pfizer)는 경증에서 중등도의 COVID-19환자를 외래에서 치료하며 입원 및 사망의 예방을 목표로 하고 있다.
팍스로비드의 예로 임상참여자들이 COVID-19 백신을 접종 받지 않고, 이전에 COVID-19에 감염되지 않은 환자들을 대상으로 한 연구결과였던 점을 감안하면, 백신 접종률이 높은 실제 상황에서 사용될 때 유사한 효과나 안전성을 나타낼지 등에 대한 우려가 있으나, 정식승인을 위한 임상이 진행 중이고 효과와 안전성에 대한 추가 결과들을 계속해서 평가되고 있다.
이러한 경구치료제의 성공적인 개발은 제한된 병상의 과포화에 대한 해결책을 제시하기 위한 치료옵션이 될 수 있고 새로운 변이가 등장함에 따라 COVID-19와 싸울 수 있는 새로운 도구를 제공하고 심각한 COVID-19로 진행될 위험이 높은 환자의 항바이러스 치료로 기대되고 있다.
이번 칼럼을 통해 미국과 유럽에서 긴급사용승인 및 조건부 승인된 두 경구약에 대한 비교표를 통해 기본적인 약물정보를 제공하고자 한다.
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