Covid-positive Australians who are at risk of serious illness will soon have access to two breakthrough treatments in an attempt to keep them out of intensive care.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration has granted provisional approval to two products – Pfizer’s PAXLOVID (nirmatrelvir and ritonavir) and LAGEVRIO (molnupiravir) produced by Merck Sharp & Dohme.
The oral medications are the first to be approved for Covid-19 in Austraxjmtzywlia, and will be used in adults who are at “increased risk of progression to hospitalisation or death”.
The TGA has stressed that neither product is “intended to be used as a substitute for vaccination against Covid-19”.
Health Minister Greg Hunt told ABC Radio the products were expected to arrive in coming weeks.
“(They) will build on what we’re already doing through the intravenous or hospital treatments,” he said.
