Status: 06.09.2021 14:37
The federal government wants to support several projects to develop drugs against Covid-19 with around 150 million euros. Research Minister Karliczek hopes “ideally” for the first conditional approvals in the coming year.
The Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal Ministry of Research want to fund several projects with around 150 million euros that are working on the development of drugs against Covid-19. Specifically, it is about projects by the German companies AdrenoMed, Apogenix, Atriva Therapeutics, Corat Therapeutics and InflaRX.
“We are optimistic that at the end of the tests there will actually be effective drugs that can then be approved,” said Federal Research Minister Anja Karliczek. The corona virus will stay. “And we will need medication to treat people suffering from Covid-19. Therefore, in addition to the question of getting the pandemic under control, the question of further drug research is the focus for us,” said Karliczek.
Anja Martini, science editor at tagesschau, on funding for drug research
tagesschau24 1:00 p.m., 6.9.2021
Projects in advanced clinical development
According to Karliczek, the ministry wants to support projects that are already in advanced clinical development and should be funded until approval. Studies are planned with both moderately severe and severely to critically ill, ventilated patients.
It is about the research and development of so-called antiviral drugs that prevent the virus from penetrating the cells, drugs that have a protective effect on lung function or drugs that dampen excessive immune reactions. According to Karliczek, some of the drugs have already been researched for diseases such as cancer or sepsis. They should also work with a different mechanism of action than the previously used drugs remdesivir and dexamethasone.
Time of use of the medication still open
When these drugs will be available is still open and depends on their effectiveness in the clinical studies. “Ideally, some of the projects are planning conditional approval, which could possibly become valid as early as next year,” said Karliczek.
The aim of the funding is also to build up and expand manufacturing capacities in Germany. For the development of Covid-19 vaccines, the federal government set up a special program with a volume of up to 750 million euros last year, with which the biotech companies BioNTech, CureVac and IDT Biologika were funded.