Filenews 25 November 2022
A contract for the joint procurement of a number of EU Member States of Paxlovid, a treatment with a SARS-CoV-2 protease inhibitor for COVID-19 patients at risk of developing a serious disease, was signed by the Commission's Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) with the pharmaceutical company Pfizer.
Among the states participating in this agreement is Cyprus, as the CNA is informed.
"Alongside safe and effective vaccines, therapeutics are a key pillar of our efforts to tackle COVID-19," said Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides.
"We have worked closely with our Member States to ensure a safe and effective treatment that will help protect and treat citizens most at risk from COVID-19. These efforts will continue to be crucial in the coming weeks and months, as the epidemiological situation continues to evolve during the winter," he added.
Under the framework contract signed with an initial duration of 12 months, a total of 13 EU and European Economic Area Member States and EU candidate countries will be able to purchase up to a total of 3,427,517 five-day treatment cycles with oral Paxlovid tablets.
Paxlovid can be used to treat COVID-19 in adults who do not need supplemental oxygen and are at increased risk of becoming seriously ill. This treatment is expected to be effective against both existing and predominant strains of the virus.
The contract was signed as part of the EU's Joint Procurement Agreement, under which 36 countries in the EU and in Europe at large have the possibility to jointly purchase medical countermeasures either as an alternative or to supplement their supplies at national level.
