Government's Purchase Agreements for New COVID-19 Anti-Viral Drugs

NOTICE PAPER NO. 890

NOTICE OF QUESTION FOR ORAL ANSWER

FOR THE SITTING OF PARLIAMENT ON 10 JANUARY 2022

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis

MP for Sengkang GRC

Question No. 2257

To ask the Minister for Health with regard to the COVID-19 anti-viral drugs Paxlovid and Molnupiravir (a) whether the Government (i) has signed a purchase agreement for Paxlovid and (ii) is considering to sign further purchase agreements for Molnupiravir; (b) what is the number of courses purchased for each of these drugs; (c) what stage of HSA’s evaluation process is Paxlovid currently at; and (d) what is the expected timeline for approval for use of Paxlovid in Singapore.

Written Answer

MOH has signed an agreement with MSD Pharma (Singapore) Pte. Ltd to purchase Molnupiravir, and is in advanced discussions with Pfizer Pte Ltd, Singapore to purchase Paxlovid. Both are oral anti-virals for treating COVID-19 patients. We are unable to disclose the number of courses purchased or under discussion, due to contractual obligations on confidentiality.

Pfizer has submitted a Pandemic Special Access Route (PSAR) application for Paxlovid to the Health Sciences Authority (HSA). HSA has commenced its review of the data to ensure that it meets the requirements for quality, safety and efficacy for interim authorisation before it is approved for use in Singapore.

MOH will continue to monitor the development of COVID-19 therapeutics, including their effectiveness against prevailing COVID-19 variants, and purchase promising candidates to ensure Singapore has access to safe and effective COVID-19 treatments.