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Policy
Gov-National Assembly introduce oral treatment for COVID-19
by Lee, Jeong-Hwan Dec 29, 2021 05:57am
First Deputy Director Kwon Deok Cheol of CDSCHQ. As COVID-19 spreads to the Omicron mutation following the delta mutation, and the number of deaths and new confirmed patients increases, the attention of the National Assembly and the government is focusing on treatments.The National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee is urging the U.S. FDA to preemptively secure domestic antibody treatments that are actively considering introducing COVID-19 oral drugs Poxlovid와 Lagevrio. The quarantine authorities are also expressing their willingness to respond quickly to securing oral drugs because they had difficulty in early vaccinations due to failure to secure vaccine supplies in the early stages of the spread of COVID-19. The Central Disaster and Safety Counters Headquaters announced on the 27th that it has signed a pre-purchase contract for COVID-19 oral medicine for a total of 604,000 people. CDSCHQ's Deputy General Manager Kwon Deok-cheol (Minister of Welfare) explained, "Following the United States, the government is also rapidly proceeding with the oral EUA process," adding, "We will be able to administer COVID-19 treatment as early as the end of January next year." The CDSCHQ is taking procedures for the oral drug EUA of COVID-19. The MFDS has announced that it will hold a "Safety Management and Supply Committee for Medical Products Responding to Public Health Crisis" to decide whether to approve the emergency use of COVID-19 oral drugs. In the case of the United States, approval for use has already been completed. The FDA approved the use of Lagevrio on the 23rd following the EUA approval of the Pfizer's Poxlovid on the 22nd (local time). The National Assembly Welfare Committee is also calling for securing COVID-19 treatments, citing cases in advanced countries. Rep. Kang Ki-yoon pointed out the reality that Korean quarantine authorities focused only on securing oral treatments. Kang's view is that next year's government budget bill could also be insufficient to respond to securing various COVID treatments by arranging only the cost of purchasing oral drugs. In particular, he also questioned the treatment effect of Lagevrio, which the quarantine authorities have started purchasing. He pointed out that unlike Merck's 50% reduction in hospitalization and death rates, FDA submission reports fell sharply due to a 30% reduction. The intention is that various treatments need to be secured as the effectiveness of the COVID-19 oral drug has not yet been clearly proven. Furthermore, through expert opinions, he said that measures should be prepared to diversify the use of antibody treatments such as Regkirona and Xvudy so that patients can be treated customized. Advanced countries such as the United States and Europe are actively purchasing various treatments in preparation for the increasing number of COVID-19 patients due to mutations, Kang said. "The United States, Europe, and Australia have started to secure Xvudy supplies, and Regkirona is also approving conditional permits." "Overseas countries are making efforts to select and secure drugs that are effective for severe coronavirus due to the increase in the number of people infected with Omicron," he said. "Korea should also prioritize securing various treatments considering continuous mutations." Customized treatment is required for each patient, he added.