Former FDA commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb has delivered what is probably the most optimistic news since the pandemic began almost two whole years ago. According to Gottlieb, a new experimental antiviral pill from Pfizer (as well as new a therapeutic from Merck) has given him enough confidence to say that that America is nearing the light at the end of the tunnel in regards to COVID-19.
“I think the bottom line is the end of the pandemic‚ as least as it relates to the United States, is in sight right now given that we have the tools to combat this disease,” Gottlieb told CNBC on Friday morning.
"The end of the pandemic at least as it relates to the United States is in sight right now," says @ScottGottliebMD. "The bottom line is we have an overwhelming toolbox right now to combat COVID." pic.twitter.com/8qxwj73GBf
— Squawk Box (@SquawkCNBC) November 5, 2021
Gottlieb was so confident about his assessment that he actually started issuing calls for the Biden administration to celebrate even though he feels the country is looking at approximately two more months of dealing with the Delta variant. Via Mediaite:
“I think that this therapeutic and the other innovations that we’ve seen coming to market really mark the end of the pandemic in the United States,” Gottlieb said. “And we need to think how we put that victory sign on the side of the White House, and we declare victory over this pandemic, at least here in the United States.”
As for why Gottlieb is betting very large on the new Pfizer pill, according to the Associated Press, the Pfizer pill not only cuts hospitalizations and deaths by nearly 90% in “high-risk adults,” but independent experts actually told Pfizer to end its study early and apply for FDA approval because the results were coming back so strong.
(Via Squawk Box on Twitter)