[Source: 1News]
The first batch of COVID-19 medicine, Paxlovid, has arrived in New Zealand and will be used from next week.
Pharmac has also secured access to preventative Covid-19 treatment, Evusheld.
Minister of Health Andrew Little said: “New Zealand is boosting its comprehensive suite of medicines to treat Covid-19 with the arrival in the country of one medication, Paxlovid, and the securing of access to the country’s first pre-exposure prophylactic treatment.”
He added: “Two years ago, at the start of the pandemic, we had no vaccines or medicines to specifically treat Covid-19 or prevent it spreading.”
“Now, we have four vaccines and 95% of eligible people are vaccinated. And we’ve got four medicines being used in hospitals now to treat people who need it – Baricitinib, Ronapreve, Remdesivir and Tocilizumab,” Little said.
As of next week the first batch of 60,000 Paxlovid doses will be used for people with mild cases who are at the highest risk of becoming seriously unwell.
“From next week we’ll be adding Paxlovid to the mix – pills that people with mild cases who are at the highest risk of becoming seriously unwell can take at home.
“The first shipment of Paxlovid has arrived in New Zealand ahead of schedule and will start being offered to those most at risk from next week, protecting people from getting seriously ill and the health system from being overwhelmed.
“Access to Paxlovid will be tight to make sure it gets to the people who need it most. It will be prescribed by doctors, with factors such as age, disability and being immuno-compromised taken into account,” Little said.
Pharmac has also secured access to another medicine, Molnupiravir, which is awaiting approval from Medsafe.
Little said: “That’s six medicines, and I am very pleased with the news today that Pharmac has secured access to a seventh, AstraZeneca’s Evusheld, which can prevent people who can’t have vaccines from getting Covid-19.
“Evusheld is a pre-exposure prophylactic treatment that can actually stop people developing Covid-19, and, if approved by Medsafe, will be an invaluable tool to protect people who can’t have vaccines.
“It means we will have medicines to treat those who need it, from before an infection sets in, right through to cases of severe infection. It’s a remarkable achievement in two years, and part of our plan to keep New Zealanders safe as we head into winter,” he said.
Little added highly effective medicines and vaccines manage the virus ahead of border reopenings.
“They mean we can shift our focus towards recovery more secure in the knowledge we have a highly vaccinated population and those most at risk of the virus will also have medicines to help protect them,” Little said.
