New Zealand will receive an initial 60,000 courses of a new drug that is showing promising signs in reducing hospitalisations and deaths among people with Covid-19.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed on Monday New Zealand was among “the first in the world” to sign an advance purchase agreement with Merck Sharp & Dohme for the new Covid-19 oral antiviral treatment, molnupiravir.
Merck said its pill reduced hospitalisations and deaths by half in a trial.
New Zealand was among “the first in the world” to sign an advance purchase agreement with Merck Sharp & Dohme for the new Covid-19 oral antiviral treatment, molnupiravir.
The study tracked 775 adults with mild-to-moderate Covid-19 who were considered to be at higher risk for severe disease because of health problems such as obesity, diabetes or heart disease.
Patients take four pills twice a day for five days.
“This purchase ensures we have molnupiravir to treat those with mild to moderate Covid-19, but I ask all New Zealanders to get vaccinated as the best protection from the virus and so we can regain our way of life with as few restrictions as possible,” Ardern said.
“We are continuing to use a stamp it out strategy. But this purchase of 60,000 courses is based on the same population basis as the likes of Australia and Singapore, and is not an assumption about the level of Covid we may have in the future.”
She said the medicine could help ease the pressure on New Zealand’s hospitals and ICU departments.
Shipments of the drug would begin after it is “thoroughly assessed and approved by [regulator] Medsafe”, Ardern said.
Across the ditch, Australia has already closed a deal for 300,000 courses of the antiviral pill.
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