by Paul Rujopakarn

    

BANGKOK (NNT) - The Cabinet has approved a 500-million-baht budget for the purchase of the Paxlovid antiviral medication for treating COVID-19 patients.

 

Deputy Government Spokesperson Traisuree Taisaranakul disclosed that the budget was approved as part of the Ministry of Public Health’s 8.4 billion baht proposal to combat the ongoing pandemic.

 

The majority of the funds will be distributed to frontline medical workers and officials affiliated with the public health secretariat office who are working to prevent and contain the spread of the virus.

 

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The procurement will allow public health officials to provide more COVID treatment options for patients. Green chiretta, favipiravir, molnupiravir and remdesivir are currently being used to treat those with mild conditions.

 

Paxlovid has been shown to have one of the highest efficacy rates in combating the coronavirus, reducing the risk of hospitalization or death by around 88%.

 

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-- © Copyright NNT 2022-03-24

 

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2 hours ago, webfact said:

Paxlovid has been shown to have one of the highest efficacy rates in combating the coronavirus, reducing the risk of hospitalization or death by around 88%.

Then why not make them available for the general public at a reasonable price instead of only through distribution through hospitals ........???

42 minutes ago, Geoffggi said:

Then why not make them available for the general public at a reasonable price instead of only through distribution through hospitals ........???

Not as profitable.  I think you should reflect on yourself and think of the shareholders.

If the pills were sold for reasonable price to the general public the 'general' public will buy them all up and then the rest of the people would have to buy the pills at the local market or street cart for an unreasonable marked up price. 

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Paxlovid has been shown to have one of the highest efficacy rates in combating the coronavirus, reducing the risk of hospitalization or death by around 88%.

I seriously doubt that ridiculous figure. In severe cases, yes maybe. But 12% of the population getting covid do not die or end up needing hospital care.

I'm not seeing the $$ working out in Thailand.  Except maybe for the Elite and the heavily insured. 

 

Pfizer studies show that Paxlovid reduces the risk of hospitalization from 7% to 1%.  That's the 88% reduction.   But that requires treating 100 people to reduce hospitalization from 7 patients to 1 patient. At $530 USD for a 5 day course of treatment, that's $53,000 to prevent 6 hospitalizations and maybe 1 death.    And they have to treat within a few days of onset of symptoms.  That's mighty spendy for the Thai masses.

 

Just the optics...  You only have a 7% chance of needing hospitalization, or you can spend $530 to reduce that to a 1% chance.

 

$530 is what the US gub'ment is paying.  Thailand may get it cheaper, but the US gub'ment has a price matching clause, so I can't see Pfizer selling them to Thailand much, if any, cheaper.  Though I doubt Thailand is on the list of price match countries (it's other high income countries), there would be pressure to reduce the US's price if they start cutting the price to other areas.

"Follow the money"?

6 hours ago, webfact said:

The majority of the funds will be distributed to

Anutin & others in the know.

The Pfizer Thailand sales team blew through their quota in Q1.

 

 

5 hours ago, Geoffggi said:

Then why not make them available for the general public at a reasonable price instead of only through distribution through hospitals ........???

Up here Covid patients are treated with Paracetamol and some cough medicine at best.

And if rural doctors complain about the lack of proper drugs then it's called a lie.

This drug is for people with mild(ish) symptoms who are at risk of developing serious complications......not for the general public to pop like smarties.

 

500 million seems a little OTT

6 hours ago, Geoffggi said:

Then why not make them available for the general public at a reasonable price instead of only through distribution through hospitals ........???

Supplies of Paxlovid are limited - even in the US they are having problems getting supplies to patients who require it, quickly enough. 

 

Additionally, it is only recommended for patients "who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death" according to the US FDA.

 

As far as I can tell it is not a medicine that should be available without being prescribed by a medical professional and should be reserved for cases of true clinical need.

 

Allowing it to be freely sold over the counter could mean it's not available for the people who really need it.

8 hours ago, Geoffggi said:

Then why not make them available for the general public at a reasonable price instead of only through distribution through hospitals ........???

Because it is another excuse for the hospitals to rip us off.

Several off-topic posts and replies have been removed, including links to dubious research on an unapproved, alternative medicine.

 

14 hours ago, impulse said:

530 is what the US gub'ment is paying

53 USD is the price for the consumer in Germany

17 hours ago, Geoffggi said:

why not make them available for the general public

It interacts with many common medications.

The interactions can be deadly.

You need a doctor for this stuff

1 hour ago, Lorry said:

16 hours ago, impulse said:

530 is what the US gub'ment is paying

53 USD is the price for the consumer in Germany

I suspect that's a subsidized number.  I could be wrong, but Germany is on the list of G7 countries with a price match clause in the US purchase agreement.  If they're buying it for $53, the US is entitled to a price match.

 

It would make sense for a high cost, Universal Healthcare country to subsidize or even give away 10 or 15 courses to prevent one hospitalization.   And that's how the numbers from the Pfizer study shake out.

31 minutes ago, impulse said:

I suspect that's a subsidized number

It is not.

The subsidized price is 0.00 € (the federal government pays).

If you want to pay out of pocket the price is  59.50 € which is about 53 USD.

2 minutes ago, Lorry said:

It is not.

The subsidized price is 0.00 € (the federal government pays).

If you want to pay out of pocket the price is  59.50 € which is about 53 USD.

Good info.  It'll be interesting to see how that plays out...

 

Federal government gets a price match guarantee

The contract also has something called most favored nation pricing. It's kind of like getting a product at a store with a price match guarantee, like Target or Best Buy. If one of six other wealthy countries, such as Japan or Germany, gets a lower price for Paxlovid, the U.S. can push the company for the same price.

 

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/02/01/1075876794/feds-contract-with-pfizer-for-paxlovid-has-some-surprises

12 hours ago, Lorry said:

It interacts with many common medications.

The interactions can be deadly.

You need a doctor for this stuff

This.

 

According to express-scripts.com:

 

Quote

Paxlovid has the potential to interact with over 20 different classes of prescription medications. Some of the more common ones are cholesterol medications known as statins, antiplatelet medications given after a heart attack or stent placement, antiarrhythmic medications, epilepsy medications, hormonal contraceptives, and opioid pain relievers.

Paxlovid medication interactions

These anti viral medicines are available to severely affected and hospitalised Thai nationals and for free but not to farangs who must pay or not get .