77 pct of Japan's COVID-19 oral drugs to be destroyed

TOKYO : Japan is set to destroy 77 percent of the COVID-19 oral medications it purchased as they remain unused, local media reported.

The Japanese government secured the oral drugs for 5.6 million people during the pandemic, but those for 4.3 million people remain unused, Kyodo News reported Saturday, citing an estimate based on government data.

According to the health ministry, Japan secured Xocova tablets produced by Shionogi & Co. for 2 million people, Lagevrio capsules made by Merck & Co. for 1.6 million and Paxlovid pills manufactured by Pfizer Inc. for 2 million.
 
The amount paid for the drugs has not been disclosed, the report said.

Based on related calculations, as of the end of March, the country still held Xocova for 1.77 million people, Lagevrio for 780,000 and Paxlovid for 1.75 million, it added.

The remaining drugs estimated to be worth 300 billion yen (about 1.93 billion U.S. dollars) are expected to be destroyed as they expire.

Japan has already disposed of 240 million doses of unused COVID-19 vaccines which were worth 665.3 billion yen (about 4.27 billion dollars), according to Kyodo News. 
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