Seoul [South Korea]: A new type of COVID-19 treatment developed overseas will be imported into Korea from February next year. According to Koh Jae-young, the spokesman of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KCDC), at the KCDC briefing on the 8th, the Korean government has decided to import oral COVID-19 treatment for 404,000 people and will phase it in from February next year. This is the first time that the government has specifically announced the import schedule of COVID-19 oral treatments. Previously, Minister of Health and Welfare Kwon Deok-cheol said he hopes to import it between January and February next year. In order to minimize the COVID-19 severe cases in the ‘phased recovery of daily life’ process, the government has been steadily promoting the purchase of oral treatments for 404,000 people. It signed a purchase contract with Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) for 200,000 patients and Pfizer for 70,000 patients in September and October, respectively. Contracts for purchasing oral medicines for the remaining 134,000 patients are also being negotiated with MSD, Pfizer, and Swiss company Roche. These contracts will be completed within this month. Regarding the plan to purchase additional treatments, spokesman Koh said, “It should be discussed whether the additional purchases are needed by comprehensively considering the status of confirmed cases and approval for use by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.” The oral COVID-19 treatment, which prevents patients from worsening to severe, is expected to reduce COVID-19 severe cases and hospitalizations in the ‘phased recovery of daily life’ process.
