A unifying model to explain frequent SARS-CoV-2 rebound after nirmatrelvir treatment and limited prophylactic efficacy - Nature Communications

Viral rebound has been observed following treatment with Paxlovid. Here the authors develop a mathematical model for viral-immune dynamics and nirmatrelvir pharmacokinetics and suggest that early treatment preserves susceptible cells and blunts the innate immune response without fully eliminating infection. They project that treatment extension for 10 days may overcome this effect.