"Remdesivir, Free Supply This Month"... Patient Burden Remains '0' Even After Next Month (Comprehensive)

Gilead's Remdesivir Approved for Special Import in the US, Domestic Supply Negotiations Completed
Limited to Severe Patients... KCDC Prioritizes Free Supply Volume by End of This Month

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency announced that it has signed a contract for the free supply of the drug with Gilead Sciences Korea, the importer of Remdesivir, through domestic introduction negotiations, and will begin domestic supply starting from the 1st. <이미지:Yonhap News>

[Asia Economy Reporters Choi Dae-yeol and Cho Hyun-ui] The Ebola virus treatment drug 'Remdesivir,' which has shown some effectiveness in treating patients with the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) and has been approved in the United States and other countries, will also be supplied domestically.

On the 1st, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) announced that it recently completed negotiations with Gilead Sciences Korea regarding domestic introduction and decided to begin supply from this day. Remdesivir is a drug developed by the U.S. pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences as a treatment for COVID-19 and has been granted emergency use authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating severe COVID-19 patients only. Recent early clinical trials conducted in the U.S. reported that it reduced the recovery period of COVID-19 patients by 31%, drawing attention to its therapeutic effects.

In Korea, patients eligible to receive Remdesivir are limited to severe cases with pneumonia requiring oxygen therapy. Hospitals treating severe patients must request drug supply from the National Medical Center, which, if necessary, consults the Central Clinical Committee on Emerging Infectious Diseases to determine the recipients. The standard treatment duration is 5 days (6 vials), but medical staff may extend it by an additional 5 days. However, the total treatment period must not exceed 10 days. According to health authorities, as of the end of last month, there were 32 patients at severe or higher stages domestically, all aged 50 or older.

Specific details such as the quantity of imported drugs have not been disclosed due to contractual conditions. The KDCA plans to secure free supply quantities by the end of this month and proceed with purchases through price negotiations starting next month. Regardless of the supply price, treatment costs for COVID-19 patients in Korea are covered by health insurance and government funds, so patients do not bear any direct costs. Jeong Eun-kyung, head of the KDCA, stated, "We will do our best to secure additional quantities of Remdesivir by continuously cooperating with Gilead Sciences Korea, the domestic importer, to ensure the availability of the treatment."

On the morning of the 30th, an elementary school student who had contact with a confirmed case is being tested at the COVID-19 screening clinic set up at the Dong-gu Public Health Center in Gao-dong, Dong-gu, Daejeon.

COVID-19 New Confirmed Cases Yesterday: 51... 36 Local Transmission, 15 Imported
Gwangju Reports First Double-Digit Daily New Cases... First School-Acquired Infection After Returning to School in Daejeon

Meanwhile, 51 new domestic COVID-19 cases were confirmed on the day. In Gwangju, where infections spread through temples, multi-level marketing companies, and hospitals, 12 new cases were confirmed in one day. Until the previous day, there were 12 patients under isolation treatment in Gwangju, but the number doubled in a single day. This is the first time that Gwangju has reported double-digit daily new confirmed cases.

In the Seoul metropolitan area, including Seoul, 27 cases were confirmed, 4 in Daejeon, and one each in Daegu, Chungnam, and Jeonnam. In Daejeon, a case presumed to be the first school-acquired infection after reopening schools was reported. Five cases were identified during quarantine procedures.

New confirmed cases, which had increased mainly in the Seoul metropolitan area around Itaewon clubs and logistics centers in May, appear to be spreading nationwide, including Gwangju following Daejeon last month. The daily new confirmed cases remain at a similar level of 40 to 50, but the number of affected areas is increasing, expanding the management network and raising alarms among health authorities. The infection rate is faster than the authorities' quarantine measures, such as tracing and isolating patients and contacts. According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, as of the 29th of last month, only one of the three severe patient treatment beds in Gwangju remains available, and the remaining beds in infectious disease-dedicated hospitals are only 15.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.