There’s reason to imagine that Pfizer’s COVID-19 pill just isn’t that effective in combating the viral disease that continues to wreak havoc worldwide.

A big study published this week found that the pill provided little or no profit for younger adults, or those within the 40 to 64 age group. 

For the Israeli study published within the Latest England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday, researchers analyzed data from 109,000 patients at a big health care organization. Nearly all the participants had been vaccinated, had been previously infected, or each. 

The researchers tracked the patients’ records of hospitalization and death rates in relation to their age. Based on the team, around 4,000 participants had taken Paxlovid, an antiviral therapy consisting of two medications co-packaged for COVID-19 treatment. 

Within the study, the drug is referred to by its name Nirmatrelvir and never by its brand name Paxlovid. Developed by Pfizer, the drug has turn out to be the go-to at-home treatment for COVID-19 infection following the U.S. government’s advice, as per USA Today. 

Nevertheless, the evaluation of patient records prompted the researchers to report that the drug didn’t yield measurable advantages in younger adults. 

Alternatively, the team observed reduced hospitalizations amongst people 65 and above who took Paxlovid. Their risk for hospitalization significantly dropped by 75% when taking the drug shortly after infection. 

The study findings showed that Paxlovid was capable of do what it’s presupposed to by reducing serious illness from COVID-19 in individuals with an elevated risk of suffering a severe infection. Old age is one in every of the chance aspects for severe COVID, in keeping with TIME. 

“Paxlovid will remain vital for people at the best risk of severe COVID-19, comparable to seniors and people with compromised immune systems,” Dr. David Boulware, a University of Minnesota researcher not involved within the large-scale Israeli study, told USA Today. 

Nevertheless, the findings someway query the drug’s practicality for people below 65, considering that it comes with potential unwanted effects, including muscle aches, hypertension and diarrhea. 

A spokesperson for Pfizer declined to comment on the study findings when reached by several media outlets.