Thousands of vulnerable patients could be taking ground-breaking COVID-19 antivirals this winter after the government announced deals to secure 2 new treatments.
These treatments should speed up recovery time for COVID-19 patients and the most vulnerable will be eligible first, including the elderly and those with weakened immune systems
The deals made by the Antivirals Taskforce are a significant step in its ambition to secure at least 2 new effective treatments by the end of the year for those who have either tested positive for COVID-19 or have been exposed to someone with the virus.
Should the treatments be approved by the UK’s renowned medicines regulator – the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) – thousands of NHS patients will be able to access the treatments to prevent the infection from spreading and speed up recovery time.
The 2 new antivirals are expected to be given to those most at risk from the virus, helping reduce the severity of symptoms and ease pressure on the NHS over winter.Before the antivirals can be authorised, they will first need to be evaluated by the MHRA, to ensure they meet the regulator’s high standards of quality, safety and effectiveness.
Antivirals are treatments used to either treat those who are infected with a virus or protect exposed individuals from becoming infected. They target the virus at an early stage, preventing progression to more severe, or even critical, symptoms.
More here: gov.uk/government/news/uk-g...
Jackie