COVID-19: new treatments

Vaccines remain the primary defence against COVID-19, but today (8th December 2021) the UK Government has announced that it has also made available other new treatment options for COVID-19 for eligible groups of patients.

Thousands of the UK’s most vulnerable people will be among the first in the world to access cutting-edge antiviral and antibody treatments. These new treatments are used in the earliest stages of infection and often taken at home. They must be administered as soon as possible after a confirmed COVID-19 positive PCR test has been received. A national study ‘PANORAMIC’, run by the University of Oxford, has now launched and is recruiting around 10,000 UK patients at risk of serious illness from COVID-19 to have the opportunity to take the antiviral molnupiravir at home after receiving a positive PCR test.

Those at highest risk who test positive for the virus – for example, people who are immunocompromised, cancer patients or those with Down’s syndrome – will also be able to access either molnupiravir or the novel monoclonal antibody Ronapreve outside of the study from 16th December 2021. Molnupiravir has shown in clinical trials to reduce the risk of hospitalisation or death for at-risk, non-hospitalised adults with mild to moderate COVID-19 by 30% and Ronapreve reduced the risk by 70%.

Commenting on the announcement, Alastair Buxton, Director of NHS Services at PSNC said: Click Here

The PANORAMIC study

Targeted deployment of molnupiravir and Ronapreve

Further information

Download a summary of information on the new treatments

Letter to general practices/community pharmacies: deployment of COVID-19 treatments for highest risk non-hospitalised patients (9th December 2021)

Interim Clinical Commissioning Policy: Neutralising monoclonal antibodies or antivirals for non-hospitalised patients with COVID-19 (9th December 2021)