KUALA LUMPUR – The Health Ministry is looking to use other drugs, apart from Baricitinib, to treat Covid-19 patients in the country, said Deputy Director-General (Research and Technical Support) Datuk Dr Hishamshah Mohd Ibrahim.
Speaking at the National Recovery Summit’s dialogue session today, Dr Hishamshah said these drugs will add to the number of drugs being used to treat Covid-19 patients in serious categories.
“It remains a challenge to us. But Malaysia has been actively involved in many clinical trials for the treatment of Covid-19 and has participated in the World Health Organisation’s Covid-19 Solidarity Trial for Covid-19 Treatments.
“We are also now using Baricitinib, a new drug, and are looking into some other drugs, which are probably going to get emergency use authorisation soon, as we are discussing the matter with the manufacturers,” he said at the virtual event organised by KSI Strategic Institute for Asia Pacific.
On another note, Dr Hishamshah said the ministry is also looking at ways to make RTK-Ag kits available to B40 groups.
Earlier today, Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz also said the government would further revise the price of self-test kits by the end of this year to make them accessible to everyone.
Last week, the government set the retail ceiling price for RTK-Ag kits at RM19.90 per set and the wholesale price at RM16 per set, effective September 5. – Bernama, September 9, 2021
