Berlin (dts news agency) – The federal government has apparently stored around 420,000 packs of the drug Paxlovid, once described as a beacon of hope in the corona pandemic, because the expiration date has passed. The federal government had centrally purchased one million packs in February 2022.
“Unused goods that have passed their expiration date are currently being stored in quarantine,” a spokesman for the Federal Ministry of Health told the newspapers of the Funke media group. It is unlikely that the drugs will still be used. “After the initial approval, the shelf life of Paxlovid was extended twice from twelve to 24 months. The pharmaceutical company is not currently planning a further extension. The packs of Paxlovid procured centrally by the ministry had a shelf life of no longer than the end of February 2024,” the spokesman continued.
The ministry did not provide any information on the value of the stocks. According to research by WDR, NDR and the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, the federal government is said to have paid around 650 euros per pack. This means that the 420,000 packs would have cost around 273 million euros.
Paxlovid is a so-called antiviral drug manufactured by the US pharmaceutical company Pfizer. The drug is intended to prevent serious disease progression, especially in high-risk patients over 65 years of age. “Pfizer’s Paxlovid drug has been on the market as part of standard care since mid-January 2024,” said the ministry spokesman. The health insurance companies are the ones who pay for it. According to AOK Rheinland/Hamburg, the pack currently costs 1,149.19 euros.
