Karl Lauterbach gives hope that the corona drug Paxlovid will be used soon – and explains for which group of people it is particularly suitable.
Berlin – In the fight against the global corona pandemic, there is now another beacon of hope besides the vaccines. More and more drugs against infection with the coronavirus are making the headlines. This is also the case with Paxlovid from Pfizer in the USA. The drug is to be used primarily against severe Covid courses.
Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) is now hoping for approval of Paxlovid in Germany soon – and names the group of people for whom the corona drug is particularly suitable.
Corona drug Paxlovid: Lauterbach comments on approval
“I am confident that we will have put together the necessary package by the end of this month, so that we have received deliveries of the drug and obtained emergency approval,” Lauterbach told Welt am Sonntag. This means that the drug could be used as early as January. The Federal Minister of Health has one group in mind.
“The product is particularly suitable for the treatment of unvaccinated risk patients,” says Lauterbach. He also explains that the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) is already preparing national approval. This would allow Germany to use paxlovid even before it is approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Lauterbach hopes that this drug could prevent many severe courses and relieve the intensive care units.
Corona drug: Germany secures one million packs of Paxlovid
As the German press agency reported, the federal government has already secured one million units of the corona drug. “The drug is extremely promising because it can significantly weaken the severe course of Covid when given early. I expect that we will be able to prevent numerous severe courses in the intensive care units, “Lauterbach told the agency and emphasized:” Thanks to a combination of increasingly effective vaccines and treatment options, Covid is slowly becoming a disease that will lose its horror. “
The Federal Minister of Health would rather fight the corona pandemic with vaccinations and medication than have schools have to be closed again. How things will continue in 2022 is currently still completely unclear. Because due to the holidays, the current corona case numbers of the RKI can be inaccurate. At the next Corona summit on Friday (January 7th, 2022), among other things, contact restrictions and the quarantine regulation should be the topic. (slo)
Header list image: © Florian Gaertner / Imago
