The Federal Government on Sunday announced it had secured 500,000 treatment courses of Pfizer’s Covid-19 oral antiviral drug, which will be used in combination with the protease inhibitor drug ritonavir.Another 15,000 doses of the Covid-19 antibody-based therapy Ronapreve were also secured.Early studies have shown the drug Ronapreve reduced the risk of hospitalisation and death by up to 70 per cent in positive Covid cases.Health Minister Greg Hunt said the initial shipment of 5000 doses was expected to be ready by the end of the month.The supply will be held in the National Medical Stockpile.Clinical trials are still being undertaken on the Pfizer antiviral drug but Mr Hunt said it is expected to help to reduce the severity or onset of illness in adults who contract or are exposed to Covid-19.He said it is expected to be available over the course of 2022, subject to final clinical trials and approval from the Therapeutic Goods Administrator (TGA).“This oral antiviral treatment is taken every 12 hours for five days and is designed to block an enzyme the virus needs in order to multiply early in its life cycle,” Mr Hunt said.“Co-administration with a low dose of ritonavir is expected to help slow the metabolism of the treatment in order for it to remain active in the body for longer periods of time at higher concentrations to combat the virus.”He said it was expected to be targeted for use in unvaccinated people who are at risk of developing severe disease.Australia has also secured an advanced purchase agreement for 300,000 courses of the oral Covid-19 treatment Molnupiravir – expected to be supplied in 2022 subject to TGA approval.
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