Activity Overview
COVID-19 remains a significant challenge for healthcare systems, contributing to hospitalizations, long-term health complications, and economic burdens. Prevention remains a key component of management, with strategies such as PrEP, PEP, and early therapeutic intervention playing a critical role in reducing transmission, preventing severe illness, and minimizing long-term complications. However, high-risk populations, such as those with obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic lung diseases, chronic kidney disease, and immunocompromising conditions, remain vulnerable to severe disease outcomes.
FDA Approves Ensitrelvir for Postexposure Prophylaxis of COVID-19
On June 1, 2026, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved ensitrelvir for postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) of COVID-19 in adults and adolescents aged 12 years and older following contact with an individual with active COVID-19. The approval marks the first oral antiviral option in the United States indicated to help prevent COVID-19 after a known exposure.
Ensitrelvir is a SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitor administered as a 5-day oral regimen. Its approval was supported by results from the Phase 3 SCORPIO-PEP trial, in which ensitrelvir reduced the risk of symptomatic COVID-19 by 67% compared with placebo through Day 10 in exposed, uninfected individuals.
Target Audience
This educational activity is intended for primary care physicians (PCPs), infectious disease (ID) specialists, critical care and emergency medicine physicians, hospitalists, nurse practitioners (NPs), physician assistants (PAs), and pharmacists involved in the treatment of COVID-19.
Learning Objectives
Upon successful completion of this activity, you should be better prepared to:
- Summarize unmet needs in the prevention and management of COVID-19.
- Analyze emerging clinical trial evidence informing the use of current and investigational therapies for the prevention and management of COVID-19.
Chuck Vega, MD
Clinical Professor
UC Irvine School of Medicine
Santa Ana, CA
Advisor, Consultant, Fee for Service
Recipient: GSK, Boehringer
Ingelheim, Exact Sciences
Stefan Gravenstein, MD, MPH
Professor of Medicine
Brown University
Providence, RI
Advisor, Consultant, Fee for Service Recipient: Moderna, GSK, Sanofi,
Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Genentech Speakers Bureau: Moderna, Sanofi Grant/Research Funding: Genentech,
Sanofi, GSK, Moderna, Pfizer
The staff of Physicians’ Education Resource®, LLC have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.
PER® mitigated all COI for faculty, staff, and planners prior to the start of this activity by using a multistep process.
Off-Label Disclosure and Disclaimer
This activity may or may not discuss investigational, unapproved, or off-label use of drugs. Learners are advised to consult prescribing information for any products discussed. The information provided in this accredited activity is for continuing education purposes only and is not meant to substitute for the independent clinical judgment of a health care professional relative to diagnostic, treatment, or management options for a specific patient’s medical condition. The opinions expressed in the content are solely those of the individual faculty members and do not reflect those of PER® or any company that provided commercial support for this activity.