The European Commission has signed a joint procurement framework contract with the pharmaceutical company Gilead for the supply of up to 500,000 treatment courses of Remdesivir.
The framework also provides the opportunity to increase supply beyond the 500,000 treatment courses of Veklury, the brand name for Remdesivir. There are 36 signatories of the Joint Procurement Agreement including the EEA countries of Norway and Iceland, the UK, as well as six candidate countries and potential candidates (Albania, the Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo, and Bosnia and Herzegovina).
Treating COVID-19 patients
Currently, Veklury is the only medicine in Europe that has a conditional marketing authorisation for the treatment of COVID-19 patients needing oxygen supply.
Stella Kyriakides, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, said: “Today we secure access to Remdesivir for the treatment of up to 500,000 patients in need. We are leaving no stone unturned in our efforts to ensure that safe and efficient therapeutics are available against COVID-19. Through our EU Joint Procurements, we are empowering countries across Europe to join forces and get access to vital equipment and medicines. We are always stronger together, and this is European solidarity in action against COVID-19.”
The signature of this joint procurement framework contract follows the Commission’s contract with Gilead to secure 33,380 treatment courses of Veklury that have been distributed across the EU and the UK since August. This contract was financed from the Commission’s Emergency Support Instrument (ESI), worth a total of €70m.
The treatment courses purchased with ESI funding have helped to cover the immediate needs of critical patients, from August until October.
The joint procurement contract will now ensure that countries will continue to have an uninterrupted supply of Veklury if they decide to buy the product.
All participating countries can now place their orders to procure Veklury directly.
