(Trinidad Express) – The Ministry of Health is negotiating with the manufacturers/suppliers of the new potentially life-saving Covid treatment antiviral drugs with a view to procuring them in the fight against the pandemic, if and when they are approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
This was disclosed yesterday by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, who indicated Government was in talks with both manufacturers—Merck and Pfizer International (who make molnupiravir and paxlovid, respectively).
Rowley said while the drugs made by Merck and Pfizer were not WHO-approved at this time, the Ministry of Health “has already proactively reached out to Pfizer Inter-national and is awaiting a non-disclosure agreement to continue negotiations.
“As soon as the drug is approved, if it becomes approved and ready for distribution, the population will be informed and the necessary action taken to make it available once it is deemed to be useful for our purpose.”
Premature to talk about doses
Responding to questions from Fyzabad MP Lackram Bodoe and Caroni East MP Dr Rai Ragbir during Prime Minister’s Question Time in Parliament, Rowley said the Government’s policy remains that it would “only allow the use of medications, protocols and procedures approved by WHO”.
The Prime Minister said Bodoe as a medical doctor would know that none of these drugs (from Merck and Pfizer) has been approved for use by the WHO.
“However since it appears that these drugs may have some potential, we await the appropriate approvals for their use in the world and, Madam Speaker, in anticipation of that approval forthcoming, the Ministry of Health is in negotiations with the manufacturers/suppliers and in the event there is approval and distribution availability, we would be ready to inform the population and to use them as and when they become approved for use by WHO,” he said.
