Published: 28 March 2020
Archived: 21 August 2024
Medicines
COVID-19: Medicine repurposing to treat COVID-19 infections
Patients should only be treated with antiretrovirals for COVID-19 infection within clinical trials.
There are no medicines approved for the treatment of COVID-19.
Background
Supply for existing patients
Use of medicines to treat patients with COVID-19
Further information
Background
In the absence of a vaccine or approved treatment, several medicines with anti-viral activity are being trialled to treat COVID-19.
Supply for existing patients
Use of anti-viral medicines to try and treat COVID-19 infection has the potential to disrupt supply of essential medicines for patients already taking them for approved indications. This is why PHARMAC has restricted funded access to hydroxychloroquine to patients taking it for approved indications. Medsafe and PHARMAC expect that other potential COVID treatments will be sourced independently of the funded supply chain.
Use of medicines to treat patients with COVID-19
Medsafe and the Health and Disability Ethics Committees (HDECs) expect that patients are only treated with antirvirals for COVID-19 infection within clinical trials. Clinical trials are the best way to determine if the medicine is effective and acceptably safe.
We are aware that companies are making supplies of anti-virals available for clinical trials in New Zealand. In many cases these supplies are unapproved medicines. ‘Unapproved medicines’ include new chemical or biological entities and new dosage forms and new strengths of approved medicines, and a different, unapproved formulation of an approved medicine. All clinical trials using unapproved medicines must get Standing Committee on Therapeutic Trials (SCOTT) and Ethics approval before the trial commences. HDECs have committed to reviewing these trials within 5 days. SCOTT have committed to giving these trials priority and reviewing them as quickly as possible.
Import of unapproved medicines for use in a clinical trial requires SCOTT and HDEC approval before the shipment can pass through customs.
Further information
Health and Disability Ethics Committees – includes information about the COVID-19 emergency response and operating procedures, plus contact details. You can contact HDEC at: hdecs@health.govt.nz
Medsafe information about clinical trials. You can contact Medsafe at: clinicaltrials@medsafe.govt.nz
