Romania to receive over 25,000 doses of anti-Covid medicine following EU deal on Remdesivir supply

Under the contract financed and signed on July 28 by the European Commission with pharmaceutical company Gilead, Romania will receive 25,157 doses of the antiviral medicine Veklury (active substance remdesivir) in three batches that will be used for the treatment of eligible COVID-19 patients, the Health Ministry announced on Monday. A first batch of 6,026 bottles of Remdesivir will arrive on August 7, providing treatment for approximately 1,200 eligible patients (5 bottles / patient). "The distribution made by EC representatives takes into account the number of cases over a 14-day period and consequently, Romania received the second largest amount after Spain," the cited source states. According to the calendar sent from Brussels, Romania will receive on September 11 another 10,336 bottles for approximately 2,067 eligible patients, and 8,795 bottles for another approximately 1,759 eligible patients will follow on October 9. The size of the last two batches will be determined according to the epidemiological evolution over 14 days, the cited source also said. The Health Ministry informed that the medicine will be stored in the warehouses of Unifarm SA, from where it will be distributed to the medicine facilities designated under the Health Minister's Order No. 555/2020, depending on the number of eligible medium and severe cases. Veklury is the first medicine authorized in the EU to treat the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.A GERPRES (RO - author: Alina Novaceanu, editor: Florin Marin; EN - author: Simona Klodnischi, editor: Simona Iacob)