Faster availability of therapies to fight coronavirus

27.5.2020

Question for written answer E-003205/2020
to the Commission
Rule 138
Dace Melbārde (ECR)

Given the suffering caused by the coronavirus pandemic, it is more important than ever to ensure safe and easy access to all medical treatments for EU citizens. Not only should access to existing medicines be facilitated, but new therapies should be approved as quickly as possible, while ensuring patient safety. Particular focus should be on patients with pre-existing medical conditions, especially those suffering from lung diseases. The World Health Organization and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control have acknowledged that those patients are more vulnerable to becoming severely ill with the virus [1] .

• 1.How will the Commission ensure that ground-breaking and innovative therapies are made available to patients as quickly as possible?
• 2.What action will it take to ensure access to necessary therapies for patients, particularly those with pre-existing conditions (high-risk patients)?
• 3.What measures does the Commission and its services use to expedite approval of new medicines to make them available as quickly as possible and can it confirm that it is applying these measures at this critical time?

• [1] https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/myth-busters