Efforts are under way to find alternative sources of the recently approved COVID-19 drug molnupiravir, as Cayman is unable to get supplies of the pill from the United Kingdom, according to Health Services Authority Chief Pharmacist Colin Medford.
Last month, the anti-viral drug, manufactured by Merck & Co., was approved for use in the fight against COVID-19.
Reuters reported that the experimental antiviral pill “could halve the chances of dying or being hospitalized for those most at risk of contracting severe COVID-19, according to data that experts hailed as a potential breakthrough in how the virus is treated”.
Locally, 15 COVID-19 patients remain hospitalised, with Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Lee noting that only 27% of the Cayman Islands’ total available capacity for COVID-19 patients is currently being used.
Out of the people in hospital, 12 were unvaccinated and three are in the Critical Care Unit, he said.
“One is requiring a ventilator and two are requiring what we call non-invasive ventilation, that means they’re needing some extra respiratory support more than oxygen… So, there are three people that are needing that extra level of ventilation support and there are 12 others who are on the general wards,” Lee said in the update on Thursday.
Molnupiravir, as reported by the BBC last week, was approved by the UK medicines regulator.
“The tablet – Molnupiravir – will be given twice a day to vulnerable patients recently diagnosed with the disease,” it said.
This is first pill designed to treat symptomatic COVID.
Medford, in response to queries from the Cayman Compass, said the HSA has been in communication with its suppliers in the UK to procure the drug.
The HSA, he said, has “been advised by the manufacturer, Merck, that the drug will only be distributed by the UK’s National Health Service and the UK Government Department of Health and Social Care based on the needs of the pandemic response. Thus, it is not available commercially at this time from Merck, UK.”
However, he said the HSA is pursuing alternate sources of the medication.
“Additionally, we are actively checking on the availability from other markets, such as Australia and New Zealand, and awaiting feedback on the release date of stock from Cipla, which has been permitted by Merck to manufacture, market and distribute this drug,” Medford said in his statement.
This week, according to Reuters, Merck & Co Inc and partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics said the Japanese government will pay about $1.2 billion for 1.6 million courses of the antiviral pill molnupiravir.
On Thursday in Cayman, 184 new community cases were recorded.
These results brought the number of active cases of COVID-19 in the Cayman Islands to 2,661, taking the total recorded since the start of the pandemic to 3,938.
According to the BBC, the UK agreed to purchase 480,000 courses of molnupiravir with the first deliveries expected in November.
“Initially it will be given to both vaccinated and unvaccinated patients through a national study, with extra data on its effectiveness collected before any decision to order more. The drug needs to be given within five days of symptoms developing to be most effective,” the BBC report stated.
Related Videos
