Rutgers has been selected as a clinical trial site for the global Pfizer-BioNTech research study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a potential oral antiviral treatment for children under 18 years with COVID-19 who have health conditions that put them at risk for severe illness. The phase 2/3 clinical trial will evaluate the pharmacokinetics, safety and tolerability of the treatment — a combination of the medications nirmatrelvir and ritonavir branded under the name “Paxlovid” — to identify the appropriate dose for each pediatric age group. Children with certain risk factors — such as those who are overweight or actively smoke or have an immunosuppressive disease, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, neurodevelopmental disorders, active malignancy, Type 1 or 2 diabetes, hypertension, chronic lung disease or sickle cell disease — are at increased risk of hospitalization or death from COVID-19 complications. To read the full story.