Government Advances Pre-Purchase Contract for 1,004,000 Oral Treatment Courses... "Monthly Supply Volume Not Disclosed" (Comprehensive)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jung] The government is pushing forward with a pre-purchase contract for 1,004,000 courses of oral COVID-19 treatments. Currently, pre-purchase contracts have been signed for a total of 604,000 courses, and Pfizer's oral treatment is expected to be introduced domestically as early as mid-next month.

On the 27th, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) announced plans to introduce oral COVID-19 treatments and stated that, in preparation for the spread of the Omicron variant and the phased recovery of daily life, they are negotiating additional purchase contracts separately from existing contract volumes. The contract is expected to be signed in early January next year, with detailed information to be disclosed then.

So far, the pre-purchase contracts cover 604,000 courses: 242,000 courses from MSD and 362,000 courses from Pfizer.

Pfizer's oral treatment will first be introduced domestically in mid-January next year. The government is closely consulting with pharmaceutical companies to expand the initial supply volume and shorten the delivery schedule. On the same day, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) approved the emergency use authorization for Pfizer's oral treatment, Paxlovid.

The oral treatments introduced domestically will be administered based on MFDS-approved indications and physician prescriptions. They are intended for mild to moderate adult and pediatric patients (aged 12 and older, weighing 40 kg or more) who are at high risk of progressing to severe illness, including hospitalization or death. Detailed administration guidelines will be promptly prepared in consultation with the medical community.

The government expects that the active use of existing domestic antibody treatments and the new introduction of oral treatments will reduce hospitalizations or deaths among high-risk mild to moderate patients, such as the elderly and those with underlying conditions, and contribute to maintaining the healthcare and quarantine system.

Furthermore, the government stated that it will continue to review the purchase of oral treatments comprehensively based on domestic and international treatment development status, quarantine conditions, and clinical results.

However, the government did not disclose specific purchase prices or monthly supply volumes of the oral treatments.

Kim Ok-soo, head of the Resource Support Team at the Central Disease Control Headquarters, said at a regular briefing that "oral treatments will be purchased by the government and supplied to hospitals and pharmacies, to be used by home patients, residential treatment centers, and treatment hospitals as needed," adding, "purchase prices are not disclosed due to contractual agreements."

Kim explained, "Practical negotiations regarding the initial supply volume are ongoing, and we will inform you once finalized," and "monthly supply details will be disclosed after the contract is finalized."

He added, "The use of oral treatments for home patients involves prescriptions from doctors being supplied to pharmacies, and the pharmacies deliver the medication to home patients in coordination with public health centers and local governments," emphasizing, "we will ensure thorough supply of treatments so that home patients do not experience inconvenience."

Regarding whether the volume of 1,004,000 courses of oral treatments under the pre-purchase contract is sufficient, Kim stated, "The oral treatment situation must be considered comprehensively, including domestic development status, quarantine conditions, and clinical results," and added, "it is not appropriate to present a specific formula for the target volume during negotiations with multinational pharmaceutical companies."

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