Returning to the federal Health Minister’s press conference from earlier this morning, and Greg Hunt has confirmed that the two oral COVID-19 treatments recently given the green light by the medicines regulator will be free.
Paxlovid and Lagevrio – which are tablets and capsules respectively – will be available via a prescription from a GP or in hospital settings.
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
The treatments are designed for people who have coronavirus and are most at risk of hospitalisation or death, but who don’t require ventilation.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration says either medicine “should be administered as soon as possible after diagnosis” and “within five days of the start of symptoms”.
In both cases, the tablets (or capsules) are taken twice a day for five days. They are not a substitute for COVID-19 vaccines, according to the TGA.
Mr Hunt says he expects the treatments to help elderly Australians, particularly those in aged care.
“That is a really important addition, and a very important sign of hope and protection for the Australian public,” he said.
TGA deputy secretary John Skerritt said some people might be wondering why two oral treatments have been provisionally approved, and whether one pill is better than the other.
“It’s common and an ideal situation in medicine, whether you are talking about cancer or a virus or common things like diabetes, to have a selection of medicines. Because there will be times when one is indicated
for certain groups of patients and one for another,” he said.
“Both medicines in the clinical trials were very effective in reducing death.”
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