European Health Union: Commission signs new Joint Procurement contract for COVID-19 therapeutic

Today, the Commission’s Health Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) has signed a new joint procurement Framework Contract for the supply of Veklury® (remdesivir), an antiviral treatment for patients with COVID-19, with the pharmaceutical company Gilead. This is the second Framework Contract for this therapeutic, the first having ended in April 2022. 22 EU Member States and countries are participating in the EU joint procurement, under which they can purchase up to 2,250,000 vials. Stella Kyriakides, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, said: “Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Commission has been working tirelessly to facilitate access to medical equipment and treatments for European patients. This is a commitment we have made as part of the EU Therapeutics Strategy and we are now delivering on it with a second contract to ensure that antiviral treatments are available for patients who need it. COVID-19 is still with us, and we will continue ensuring that in addition to vaccines, we also have the necessary therapeutics available to treat those in need. Protecting the public health of our citizens will always be the priority of the European Health Union.” In the EU, remdesivir can be used for the treatment of COVID-19 in adult and adolescent patients with pneumonia requiring supplemental oxygen as well as for adults who do not require supplemental oxygen and are at an increased risk of progressing to severe COVID-19. The EU’s Joint Procurement Agreement offers the 36 participating countries to jointly procure medical counter-measures as an alternative or complement to procurement at national level. Framework contracts for COVID-19 therapeutics have previously been concluded with Hoffmann-La Roche and GlaxoSmithKline Ltd for the purchase of monoclonal antibodies.  HERA continues to work closely with the participating countries to identify and implement priorities for joint procurement. Further information on the European Commission’s actions to ensure sufficient supply of medical countermeasures to support the COVID-19 response can be found here.