Japan’s Health Ministry on Thursday granted fast-track approval for Pfizer’s oral COVID-19 drug, Paxlovid, to treat patients with mild symptoms amid the rapid spread of the coronavirus fueled by the Omicron variant in the country. The ministry said in a statement that it has secured 2 million courses of treatment with the U.S.-based drugmaker Pfizer, of which 40,000 pills have already been imported in advance. The remaining courses of treatment will be delivered in late February. It stated (pdf) that pills distribution will begin on Monday, with just 2,000 medical institutions nationwide permitted to prescribe Paxlovid in-hospital until at least Feb. 27, due to concerns over the pill’s compatibility with other kinds of drugs. Paxlovid is a combination of two antiviral drugs–nilmatrelvir, which blocks the virus from replicating, and ritonavir–which slows down nirmatrelvir’s breakdown to help it remain in the body for a longer period of time. The pill is …