Government sets aside over €620,000 for Remdesivir coronavirus drug
The government has granted €621,000 for the purchase of stocks of United States-made anti-viral drug Remdesivir, for use in combating the most serious cases of COVID-19. Remdesivir has met with concerns in some quarters over its use.
The cabinet made the decision at its regular Thursday meeting; the funds will be transferred from its own reserve to the Health Board (Terviseamet) and the Remdesivir stocks will be distributed among Estonia's hospitals.
The European Commission recently approved the use of Remdesivir as an anti-coronavirus drug, while the Estonian State Agency of Medicines (Raviamet) has permitted its use only in the most serious of cases.
Sold under the brand name Veklury and administered intravenously, Remdesivir inhibits replication of the virus in cells, but has met with concerns over side-effects and other aspects of its use, to the extent that in November last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a conditional recommendation against the drug's use.
The government had already allocated over €300,000 for purchasing Remdesivir, BNS reports.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte
