U.S. Plans Huge Investment in COVID Medicines

The United States government on Thursday announced a plan to invest more than $3 billion in the research, development, and production of antiviral medicines that could be used to treat the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The plan will reportedly be funded from the American Rescue Plan, which was proposed by the administration of President Joe Biden to provide stimulus and relief and boost the economic recovery from the pandemic.

The funds will be allocated with $300 million for research, about $1 billion for preclinical trials and evaluation, and nearly $700 million for development and manufacturing. Furthermore, $1.2 billion will be used to support the creation of Antiviral Drug Discovery Centers.

Speaking to reporters in a press briefing at the White House, Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that vaccines remain the centerpiece of tools to combat the COVID-19.

“However, antivirals can and are an important complement to existing vaccines, especially for individuals with certain conditions that might put them at a greater risk for those whom vaccines may not be as protective,” Fauci was quoted by CNN as saying.

“We know that there are many people who are immunosuppressed in which vaccines, at least initially, may not give an optimal response. And it also adds a line of defense against other unexpected emerging things like variants of concern that we are currently dealing with,” he added.