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Paxlovid production
Photo: HANDOUT / AFP
The federal government is working to secure quotas for two drugs.
They are used to treat corona patients, but are not yet approved in this country.
According to a spokesman, the Federal Ministry of Health is already "negotiating with manufacturers to secure contingents for Germany and to make them available for supply in a timely manner."
In addition to the Paxlovid product from the US company Pfizer, this also applies to the product Lagevrio, which is manufactured by the US company MSD.
Both are antivirals that prevent the virus from reproducing.
The preparations are not yet approved in the EU.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has started an evaluation process with the aim of approval.
"Good news for fighting the pandemic"
After approval, the funds should be used in Germany primarily for high-risk patients - for example, patients over 60 years of age and people with ailments such as obesity and diabetes. The Federal Ministry of Research rated the approval of paxlovid by the US Food and Drug Administration as "good news for fighting the pandemic and thus for all of us." According to findings from the USA, paxlovid significantly reduces the risk of hospitalization or death in high-risk patients.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued the corona pill Paxlovid with emergency approval for high-risk patients aged twelve and over on Wednesday.
The agency said: "At a crucial point in the pandemic with the emergence of new variants, this approval brings a new tool to combat Covid-19." US President Joe Biden promised Pfizer government support to ramp up production of the drug quickly .
Paxlovid combines the new active ingredient nirmatrelvir with the drug ritonavir, which is already used to treat HIV patients.
ulz / AFP