Covid 19 Omicron: Antiviral medications may not be available until after peak

By RNZ

Antiviral medications ordered by the Government may not be available until after the peak of the Omicron outbreak - if they get approval.

The Government announced last year it had advanced purchase agreements for 60,000 doses each of Molnupiravir, manufactured by Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD), and Paxlovid, made by Pfizer, but neither is approved for use here yet.

The new antivirals have been hailed as a game changer for Covid-19 if given in the first five days of infection and are aimed at those most at risk of getting very sick or developing complications.

Overseas trials found Pfizer's Paxlovid cut the chance of hospitalisation by 89 percent.

In New Zealand, Paxlovid is still going through the Medsafe approval process, while MSD has not yet sought approval for Molnupiravir.

Royal NZ College of GPs medical director Bryan Betty said the approval process must happen as quickly as was safely possible.

"The sooner we have the ducks lined up and approval ... the better off we'll be."

But even if the drugs arrived too late for this outbreak, they would still be invaluable in winter when cases could rise again, he said.

The 120,000 doses on order may not be enough and the Government should consider ordering more, he said.

The Ministry of Health said Pfizer had just submitted more data for approval and it was likely that would be considered by its expert advisory group in mid-February.

If it was then approved, it would be well in advance of the timeline for supply, Betty said.

That was expected to be April.

Paxlovid was approved under emergency use rules in the United States last month.