Health Ministry seeks additional 75 million anti-viral pills ahead of Songkran

[snoop1130]

Image Credit: Government Pharmaceutical Organisation

 

The Ministry of Public Health has asked the Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO) for an additional 75 million Favipiravir and Molnupiravir anti-viral medicines, as it anticipates a surge in COVID-19 infections during and after the long Songkran break in mid-April, when many people travel between provinces.

 

GPO Deputy Director Sirikul Matevelungsun said today that the additional doses being sought by the Public Health Ministry are on top of the 110 million Favipiravir pills ordered by the ministry since February.

 

Of that 110 million, she said that 80 million have already been delivered, with the remaining 30 million to be delivered in the middle of April.

 

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Full Story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/health-ministry-seeks-additional-75-million-anti-viral-pills-ahead-of-songkran/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-03-30

 

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[Excel]

Surprised they don't start knocking them out themselves as they did such a great job producing the Astro Zeneca vaccine ????

[ThailandRyan]

Wait have they not been producing enough of them themselves since they stole the patent from Japan?

I also thought that Anutin said there were enough and there was not a shortage, oh who to believe....

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I was of the understanding, as per Ryan's' comment above, that Thai GPO is manufacturing this stuff, either directly or via contractor.

 

I think this is just MoPH increasing their order from GPO.

 

Of course, let's not mention that this particular medication is not approved as a valid COVID treatment in the U.S., UK or many other countries in the world.

 

And the lone medically credible country on the list below is Japan, where this drug was developed and first manufactured by a Japanese company.

 

"Favipravir, as an antiviral drug, has been authorized for treating COVID-19 in several countries including Japan, Russia, Serbia, Turkey, India, and Thailand, under emergency provisions.^{[26][27][28][29]} A rapid meta-review in September 2020 (analyzing four studies) noted that the drug led to clinical and radiological improvements; however, no reduction in mortality or differences in oxygen-support requirement were observed and more rigorous studies were sought.^"

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Favipiravir#COVID-19

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I hadn't seen this recent update previously:

 

Japan Govt to End Observational Avigan Study for COVID-19

 

January 5, 2022

 

The Japanese health ministry is discontinuing a state-funded observational study for Fujifilm’s antiviral Avigan (favipiravir) for the treatment of COVID-19. Drug supplies from a government stockpile for this program were terminated as of December 28. The ministry has been conducting…

 

https://pj.jiho.jp/article/245912

 

Fujifilm Drops Avigan’s Japan PIII Trial for COVID-19

March 14, 2022

 

Fujifilm has jettisoned its Japanese PIII trial investigating its antiviral Avigan (favipiravir) for the treatment of COVID-19 as the circulation of the Omicron variant has made it difficult to measure its efficacy for preventing severe disease.

 

https://pj.jiho.jp/article/246318?searched_keyword[]=Avigan

 

 

Edited March 30, 2022 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[ThailandRyan]

10 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

I hadn't seen this recent update previously:

 

Japan Govt to End Observational Avigan Study for COVID-19

 

January 5, 2022

 

The Japanese health ministry is discontinuing a state-funded observational study for Fujifilm’s antiviral Avigan (favipiravir) for the treatment of COVID-19. Drug supplies from a government stockpile for this program were terminated as of December 28. The ministry has been conducting…

 

https://pj.jiho.jp/article/245912

 

Fujifilm Drops Avigan’s Japan PIII Trial for COVID-19

March 14, 2022

 

Fujifilm has jettisoned its Japanese PIII trial investigating its antiviral Avigan (favipiravir) for the treatment of COVID-19 as the circulation of the Omicron variant has made it difficult to measure its efficacy for preventing severe disease.

 

https://pj.jiho.jp/article/246318?searched_keyword[]=Avigan

 

 

Yet Thailand is hanging its hat in the ring and using Favipiravir as the cure-all for covid infected patients.  Doesn't really make sense in my view.  This Government just can not let go and move on from anything they have invested themselves in that has not worked as well as it was acclaimed to ie...Sinovac.

Edited March 30, 2022 by ThailandRyan

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Even Japan's bailing out of the favi ship...

 

Japan's Fujifilm to halt enrollment in Avigan trial for COVID-19

 

March 11 (Reuters)

...

"Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he hoped Avigan would be approved in May 2020 for COVID-19, and he pledged donate supplies to needy countries.

...

...studies in Japan have been inconclusive, leading domestic regulators to hold off approval for it, partly because animal study data showed it could lead to birth defects.

 

As Avigan stumbled in clinical trials, other antiviral pills have come to the fore against COVID-19. Japan has bought millions of doses of oral treatments developed by Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) and Merck & Co (MRK.N)."

 

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/japans-fujifilm-says-terminate-enrollment-avigan-trial-covid-19-2022-03-11/

 

 

 

Fujifilm's Avigan shows no significant benefit on COVID-19 mortality - study

 

TOKYO, Feb 18 (Reuters) - A study of global trials of Fujifilm Holdings Corp's (4901.T) antiviral drug Avigan suggests it has little benefit for COVID-19 patients once their symptoms become serious.

....

But it failed to demonstrate statistically significant results in reducing mortality among those with mild to moderate COVID-19.

...

In January, Indian drugmaker Dr.Reddy's Laboratories (REDY.NS), which bought the global rights to Avigan from Fujifilm last summer, halted a clinical trial of the drug in Kuwait.

 

(more)

 

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/fujifilms-avigan-shows-no-significant-benefit-covid-19-mortality-study-2021-02-18/

 

 

Edited March 30, 2022 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Seems like most of the world's medical community has moved onto other treatments with more proven results... But Thailand keeps handing out the stuff like M&Ms....

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

35 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Yet Thailand is hanging its hat in the ring and using Favipiravir as the cure-all for covid infected patients. 

 

Except that they're now beginning to also buy limited quantities of imported Paxlovid and Molnupiravir...  But at the prices they're paying, they certainly won't handing those out like Skittles....

 

And not that Molnupiravir is great, with a documented effectiveness in preventing hospitalization and death of only about 30%.

 

November 29, 2021

Molnupiravir: Merck’s Covid-19 antiviral less effective in new analysis

 

"Merck has provided updated data on its Covid-19 antiviral, molnupiravir, that shows the antiviral to be significantly less effective against the virus than previously thought.

 

The new analysis, shared by the company on Friday, shows treatment with molnupiravir reduces hospitalisation or death by 30%. The drug’s efficacy is considerably lower than what was reported in interim analysis in October, when molnupiravir was said to reduce the risk of hospitalisation and death by around 50%."

 

https://www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/news/molnupiravir-merck-antiviral-less-effective-new-analysis/

 

Paxlovid is said to be considerably better, with an effectiveness rate of almost 90%, if taken within five days of the start of symptoms:

 

12 Things To Know About Paxlovid, the Latest COVID-19 Pill

 

"The drug, developed by Pfizer, appears to have a lot of positives: It had an 89% reduction in the risk of hospitalization and death in clinical trials, a number that was high enough to prompt the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to prioritize it over other COVID-19 treatments; it’s cheaper than many other COVID-19 drugs (it’s provided for free by the U.S. government while there is a public health emergency); and, perhaps most reassuring, it is expected to work against the Omicron variant.

 

“I think it is the beginning of a ‘game-changer,’” says Scott Roberts, MD, a Yale Medicine infectious diseases specialist. “It's really our first efficacious oral antiviral pill for this virus. It shows clear benefit, and it really can prevent hospitalization and death in people who are at high risk.”

 

https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/12-things-to-know-paxlovid-covid-19

 

However, Paxlovid also has substantial potential drug interaction issues:

 

“For starters, Paxlovid is 88 percent effective at preventing hospitalization and death. But it also has six pages of drug interactions, including interactions that may require a patient to hold, change, or reduce doses of other medications."

 

https://www.ama-assn.org/press-center/press-releases/ama-statement-administration-s-test-treat-covid-19-plan

 

"The FDA has published a fact sheet for health care providers on Paxlovid. Much more than a sheet, it’s actually 29 pages crammed with facts – and 12 of those pages list potential side effects.

 

Here’s the irony: Some of the preexisting conditions that make a COVID infection especially dangerous — such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart failure and arrhythmias — often are treated with multiple medicines that could also make Paxlovid dangerous."

 

https://www.inquirer.com/health/expert-opinions/paxlovid-pfizer-covid-19-heart-disease-20220202.html

 

Edited March 30, 2022 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Nojohndoe]

It is not so difficult to understand the despairation of not only  the public  but the generalized medical  industry and community that any  compound that  could provide  some degree of protection or reduction in impact of this  new virus would be sought out and after.

The saddest aspect  for me is that instead of  any rational  presentation of efficacy  even  prior to the  experimental  vaccines a war of  denial was in force for ...?

 

[hotchilli]

13 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Wait have they not been producing enough of them themselves since they stole the patent from Japan?

I also thought that Anutin said there were enough and there was not a shortage, oh who to believe....

Yourself... works for me.

[onthedarkside]

A post with unsourced and unsubstantiated claims has been removed.