Gov investigates delivering new covid medicine to community

Tuesday 14 December 2021

Medics have started to use a new treatment on islanders in hospital with covid, and are soon hoping to make it available to the wider community.

Clinical trials have shown Ronapreve – a mix of two lab-produced antibodies – to reduce the risk of hospitalisation or death for at-risk adults with mild to moderate covid by 70%.

Usually given as an infusion or injection, Ronapreve works by attaching to the corona virus spike protein, stopping it getting into cells and causing an infection, and helping the body to overcome the viral infection faster.

It is authorised by the UK medicines regulator (the MHRA), and was this week recommended for use in the community as well as in hospitalised patients.

The Health Minister confirmed yesterday that a “hospital-based service is already in operation”, and said his Department is “in the process of looking at how best to set up the community-based service.”

It was also hoped that Jersey would be able to get stocks of “gamechanger” antiviral pill Molnupiravir, which was approved by the MHRA last month. However, Deputy Richard Renouf indicated that it may be some time before that is possible.

“We are told that it will be rolled out in two stages initially to test this out in a real life and then more widely. The Crown Dependencies will only receive this agent after the first stage.”

He added that: “Other tablet form direct acting agents are in the pipeline.”

The Health Minister’s comments came as he responded to a question from Deputy Jeremy Maçon, who asked if the Government had considered the use of Ivermectin as a treatment or preventative measure for covid.

The non-MHRA-approved drug is primarily used to prevent parasites in animals but has generated global conversation after it was given out to covid patients in India. At the current time, there is no conclusive scientific evidence of its success in treating covid patients.

Deputy Renouf responded: “We do not have a local research capacity and therefore the Department follows guidance from the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

“Ivermectin is not authorised for use against covid by the MHRA and we will therefore not be using it.

“Ivermectin has been included in the University of Oxford PRINCIPLE trial to determine whether this is a safe and effective treatment for covid. It is unclear if they are looking at this at present for the purposes of preventing disease.”