The government is still locked in talks with Pfizer BioNTech about the possibility of procuring its antiviral drug to treat Covid-19, Paxlovid.

The confirmation comes from Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh during Wednesday’s sitting of the House of Represenatives.

“We are in negotiations with Pfizer. We have signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). It must also be noted that Paxlovid is in short supply even in the United States. They don’t have enough for their home market, short by hundreds of millions of doses. So we are in the market for it,” Deyalsingh said in a response to a question posed by the Opposition. 

He added, while government is actively trying to access several WHO approved Covid-19 drugs on the market, these medications are not a substitute for vaccination.

“WHO recently approved two other drugs- from Eli Lilly (a pharmaceutical company) an oral immunosuppressant called Baricitinib- but this is for severely ill persons who are critically ill. They have also approved one by Glaxosmithkline- Sotrovimab, which is a antibody preparation to be administered intraveneously for those at high risk of hospitalizations,” he said. 

“The point I am trying to make with all these therapies, they are not for garden variety Covid infection. There are protocols for its use. The reason I am saying that, I don’t want the population to get a false sense of security that this is a substitute for vaccinations. The drugs are currently in short supply even in their home countries, and there are specific criteria for their use,” he reiterated.