In instances where access to vaccines is limited or impossible, drugs can be a manageable alternative
Vaccines have been game changers in the fight against Covid-19, offering effective protection against even highly contagious and pathogenic strains such as the Delta variant. But with many in the world still unvaccinated and cases on the rise — including among the vaccinated — it is becoming clear we will need more than shots to keep the virus at bay.
For these countries, access to safe, effective and scalable oral drugs could help reduce the burden of disease and relieve some of the pressure on health systems as they wait for vaccines. These drugs could also help treat breakthrough infections among the vaccinated. Antivirals also have utility for people whose existing health conditions make vaccination risky, as well as those who do not respond well to vaccines, such as immunocompromised individuals.
But they are expensive and require sophisticated manufacturing, often needing some of the same materials that are used to make vaccines. Remdesivir is used once people are in the hospital, so it is not useful as a drug to prevent severe disease and hospitalisation. And even where it is approved for use, the benefit is marginal given its cost. These drugs are tough to store and administer — they are given by injection or infusion. Pills are a much more manageable alternative.
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