Purchase of new anti-viral drugs may ease NHS winter pressure

ANTI-VIRAL drugs which could halve the risk of death or hospital admission from Covid-19 could be given to hundreds of thousands of vulnerable patients under a new NHS deal.

Health officials said the new drugs would be given to those most at risk from the virus, helping reduce the severity of symptoms and ease pressure on the NHS over the winter.

The Government has procured 730,000 courses of two new types of drug, which can be given to those who test positive for Covid-19 and to those exposed to it, to prevent severe disease.

The anti-viral medicines, targeted at the elderly and those with weakened immune systems, could be dispensed to groups most at risk from an outbreak, such as care home residents.

Prof Jonathan Van-tam, the Deputy Chief Medical Officer, said the treatments would be particularly vital in helping those who could not mount a robust antibody response, such as the immuno-compromised. The deal made by the Antivirals Taskforce includes 480,000 courses of Molnupiravir, made by Merck Sharp and Dohme.

The drug is expected to go to drug regulators next month, paving the way for rollout before Christmas. It has been found in clinical trials to reduce the risk of hospital admission or death for at-risk non-hospitalised adults with mild to moderate Covid by 50 per cent.

The Government has also procured 250,000 courses of a second anti-viral – Pf-07321332/ritonavir – from Pfizer, where Phase 3 trials are under way.

Both treatments are still to be approved by the UK’S medicines regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. Molnupiravir could be assessed next month, while Pfizer’s treatment is likely to be reviewed in January.

Officials said that if they get the green light, thousands of NHS patients will be able to access the treatments.

Sajid Javid, the Health Secretary, said: “Since the beginning of this pandemic, we have been building an armoury of life-saving measures to tackle the virus and protect the country – including our phenomenal vaccination programme and therapeutics.

“I am delighted to confirm we may soon have a new defence in our arsenal with two new anti-viral drugs that we have secured.

“Our work is far from done though – and we’ll continue our tireless work to secure more innovative treatments so we can protect as many people as possible from the virus, its variants and future diseases.”

A national study is now going ahead to gather further data on the potential benefits these treatments bring to vaccinated patients.