Government to Expedite Introduction of 460,000 Oral COVID-19 Treatments by End of April (Update)

Secured Oral Therapeutics for 1,004,000 People... Will Be Introduced Sequentially

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] The government will expedite the introduction of 460,000 doses of oral COVID-19 treatments by the end of April.

On the 25th, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) announced that a total of 1,004,000 doses of oral COVID-19 treatments have been secured, and 460,000 doses are being pushed for early introduction. The 460,000 doses to be introduced early include not only Paxlovid but also Lagevrio supplies.

Kim Ok-soo, Resource Support Team Leader at the Central Disease Control Headquarters, explained, "From the end of March to April, a total of 460,000 doses of oral COVID-19 treatments will arrive, with 184,000 doses planned for March and 276,000 doses for April."

He added, "Negotiations with Pfizer are ongoing, and once finalized, we will provide further guidance," and "Pfizer's Paxlovid will also be available for use in early April." Currently, a total of 163,000 doses of Paxlovid have been introduced domestically as of the 24th, with about 114,000 people having used it.

The 20,000 doses of Lagevrio introduced on the 24th are scheduled to be actively used starting from the 26th. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety granted emergency use authorization for Lagevrio on the 23rd. It will be used for those aged 60 and over, those aged 40 and over with underlying conditions, and immunocompromised individuals within 5 days of symptom onset who have difficulty using existing treatments. An additional 80,000 doses of Lagevrio are expected to be introduced on the 27th.

The CDSCH explained, "While Paxlovid is the primary prescription, Lagevrio can be prescribed if Paxlovid administration is restricted due to contraindicated concurrent medications or if other treatments are difficult to use."

Meanwhile, the CDSCH stated regarding the introduction of AstraZeneca (AZ)'s 'Evusheld', "We are comprehensively reviewing overseas cases," and "We will report later once the schedule is set and discussions proceed." Evusheld is an antibody treatment that helps prevent COVID-19 in immunocompromised individuals.

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