Confederation signs contract to procure further medicinal product to treat COVID-19
Bern, 20.07.2022 - The Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) has concluded a contract with AstraZeneca Switzerland for the purchase of just over 1,200 doses of tixagevimab/cilgavimab, a medicinal product designed to prevent and treat COVID-19. This is the second contract with the pharmaceutical company to reserve this product.
The combination drug consisting of the antibodies tixagevimab and cilgavimab, can protect at-risk immunocompromised persons from a severe case of COVID-19. Recent studies show that this medicinal product, originally only for preventive use, is also effective in treating people who already have COVID-19. In order to be able to treat these patients as well, the quantity of the product reserved has been increased accordingly. This medicinal product has not yet received authorisation, but under the provisions of COVID-19 Ordinance 3, may be used in the treatment of COVID-19 patients while the authorisation procedure is ongoing. COVID-19 Ordinance 3 provides for exceptions to the usual authorisation procedure if the medicinal product in question is shown to protect against and treat COVID-19. Monoclonal antibodies are antibodies produced in cell cultures and injected into the patient to neutralise the virus. Clinical studies show that these treatments offer effective protection against severe forms of the disease.
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Federal Office of Public Health FOPH, Communications, phone 058 462 95 05
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Federal Office of Public Health
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