COVID-19: UK strikes deals for two antiviral drugs to help combat coronavirus surge this winter | Politics News

Health Secretary Sajid Javid has hailed two possible new additions to the UK’s “armoury of life-saving measures” to tackle COVID-19.

The government’s antivirals taskforce has struck deals for two new coronavirus treatments, which – if they are approved by the medicines regulator – are expected to be given to those most vulnerable to COVID-19.

The agreements have seen the UK secure 480,000 courses of Molnupiravir – produced by Merck Sharp and Dohme (MSD) – which has been proven in clinical trials to reduce the risk of hospitalisation or death for at-risk non-hospitalised adults with mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms by 50%.

The US has already struck a $1.2bn deal to purchase around 1.7m courses of Molnupiravir, should it be approved by the American regulator.

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In an announcement on Wednesday, it was revealed the UK’s taskforce has also signed a deal for 250,000 courses of a drug called PF-07321332/ritonavir – produced by Pfizer – for which clinical trials are continuing.

Ritonavir is an older medication widely used in combination treatments for HIV infection.

When it was launched in April, the antivirals taskforce was charged with finding at least two effective treatments this year, either in a tablet or capsule form, that the public can take at home following a positive COVID-19 test or exposure to someone with the virus.

Should the two treatments be approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), thousands of NHS patients are expected to be able to access the treatments to prevent the virus from spreading and speed up recovery time.

The two new antivirals are expected to be given to those most at risk from the virus, helping to reduce the severity…