New Affordable Treatment Available For Covid In Laos

Source: Vientiane Times

A drug to treat Covid-19 in Laos will soon be available in the form of Molacovir, at a relatively cheap price and with guaranteed quality. 

The Laos Alliance Pharmaceutical Group, whose factory is located in the Saysettha Development Zone in Vientiane, has been authorised by the government to manufacture Molacovir and other drugs and vaccines.

This will not only reduce the amount of money spent on imported drugs, but will enable people in Laos to get the medication they need at a lower price.

The Group invested more than US$10 million in the construction of the factory, which has installed GMP equipment, the Group’s managers led by Mr Ting Chen told Vientiane Times when reporters visited the site recently.

The Group employs more than 100 medical staff and general workers for the production process, marketing and office administration, and plans to hire more staff when the business expands.

The factory is currently producing the ingredients needed for the production of Molacovir and is expected to turn out the drug in large quantities over the next few months, in line with GMP standards as required by the government.

“The cost of the drug produced by our factory for market supply is about US$13 for one course of treatment, while retailers will sell it for US$25,” the Group’s managers said.

“We sell most of our products to drug companies around the country and now many companies are our customers after our marketing staff worked through the media and visited these companies to persuade them to buy our products.”

This year, the Group plans to set up more factories outside the Saysettha Development Zone for the production of vaccine, and hopes to export its products in the future.

The Group has received full support from the government, especially with regard to special policies that apply to companies operating in the zone, which has helped the factory’s operations to run smoothly. 

The Group wished to assure the public that it’s production process would enable people to buy medication and vaccines more cheaply in the near future, especially for the treatment of Covid-19, and to create new choices when it comes to the availability of medicines.

State Enterprise Pharmaceutical Factory No. 3 in Vientiane and its partners are stepping up the production of Molacovir and making it affordable for people on low incomes.

The factory is making Molacovir for the treatment of early stages of Covid-19 and is selling capsules for 400,000 kip for one course of treatment.

The factory’s Managing Director, Dr Lahounh Chanthabout, told Vientiane Times that more people are now able to buy Molacovir, including those on low incomes.

The factory could increase production but the government would have to subsidise production costs by paying 50 percent of the purchase price of the chemicals needed, or paying 30 percent of the cost of one course of treatment, which is 400,000 kip for a five-day course.

The factory has asked the government for emergency funding to buy Molacovir for distribution to people who are poor and have tested positive for Covid-19.  

Some people who have the virus are in need of Molacovir but are unable to afford it, Dr Lahounh said.

Laos Alliance Pharmaceutical Group managers meet with Vientiane Times reporters at the Group’s factory in the Saysettha Development Zone.	The factory owned by the Laos Alliance Pharmaceutical Group in the Saysettha Development Zone.