Israel is not currently in talks to procure Pfizer's coronavirus pill which reduces the chances of hospitalization and death from the disease by nearly 90%, Hebrew media reported Saturday night.
90 countries are in talks with the pharmaceutical company to secure doses of the pill which Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla called a “game-changer."
According to a press release by Pfizer Friday afternoon, the experimental pill demonstrated up to 89% effectiveness in curbing hospitalizations or death among high-risk patients.
US President Joe Biden said on Friday that the United States has secured millions of doses of Pfizer's experimental antiviral pill for COVID-19.
"If authorized by the FDA we may soon have pills that treat the virus in those who become infected," Biden said, according to Reuters.
Israel and Pfizer have had a good working relationship since Israel became one of the first countries to receive large quantities of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine and the first country to launch a successful large-scale vaccination drive. In the summer Israel began a campaign to provide booster shots of the Pfizer vaccine to millions of its citizens.
The Health Ministry stated that it would be in contact with Pfizer "soon" to begin talks on procuring the new treatment,
Israel has been in talks with the Merck pharmaceutical company to procure its coronavirus pill, with reduces the rate of hospitalization and death from the disease by half.