COVID-19 is still killing tens of thousands of Americans every year — and for the first time, there is now an FDA-approved oral medication that household contacts of infected individuals can take before symptoms develop to significantly reduce their risk of getting sick.
On June 1, 2026, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Xocova® (ensitrelvir), an oral antiviral developed by Japanese pharmaceutical company Shionogi, for post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) of COVID-19 in adults and adolescents 12 years of age and older. It is the first and only oral option approved for preventing COVID-19 after exposure to an infected individual — a distinct and previously unaddressed clinical need.
