The European Commission signed a €63 million ($74 million) contract with US drug firm Gilead to secure coronavirus treatment remdesivir, the EU institution announced on Wednesday.
MEDICINE WILL BE DISTRIBUTED AMONG EU MEMBERS
The procurement is financed by the EU budget and the medicine will be distributed among EU members states and the UK from August.
“The [European] Commission is leaving no stone unturned in its efforts to secure access to safe and efficient treatments, and is supporting the development of vaccines against coronavirus,” EU Commissioner for Health Stella Kyriakides said, calling the deal with Gilead “another important step forward in our fight to overcome this disease”.
Under the brand name Veklury, remdesivir is the first coronavirus cure that received EU market authorization in early July.
The medicine could be used in the treatment of adults and children over the age of 12 who require supplemental oxygen because of pneumonia.
Remdesivir was originally developed to fight Ebola, but tests have shown that it significantly reduces the recovery time of coronavirus patients as well, especially in the case of severe illnesses.