Swissmedic has admitted a new treatment against Covid, reimbursed by the Confederation or health insurance under certain conditions. Its manufacturer AstraZeneca made the information public on Thursday evening.
The first drug prophylaxis reimbursed in Switzerland for Covid is the combination of tixagevimab and cilgavimab antibodies (AZD7442), writes the pharmaceutical company in a press release. According to AstraZeneca, the Confederation has so far ordered 5,000 doses of the treatment.
The prophylaxis is intended for patients at risk who, despite several vaccinations, have not been able to generate sufficient immune defenses against Covid-19. This concerns in particular immunocompromised patients suffering from cancer, rheumatoid arthritis or transplant recipients.
Immunocompromised patients are at one to three times the risk of hospitalization and twice the risk of death than the general population, the statement said. Switzerland has approximately 200,000 immunocompromised patients. Experts estimate that there are around 10,000 high-risk patients in the country.
Swissmedic has authorized the treatment on an accelerated basis and for a limited period. It can be administered to adults and young people from the age of 12. Other applications for approval, in particular for treatment after exposure to Covid, are being examined. The product is administered as an intramuscular injection.
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