Finance Minister Mihály Varga has confirmed that the Hungarian government is subsidising an expansion of pharmaceutical company Pannonpharma’s plant in Pécsvárad, southern Hungary, designed to manufacture drugs against the coronavirus.
According to MTI, Minister Varga said the plant, built with a HUF 1.6 billion (EUR 4.6m) investment, will produce an interferon-based gel designed to activate the immune system supressed by the virus, and a pill with the same active substance to eliminate coronavirus in the stomach and intestines. Minister Varga said in a video message that a growing number of domestically produced, high-quality healthcare products ensure Hungary’s independence from foreign manufacturers. The government’s health-care development scheme has already yielded results, Minister Varga said.
The Health Industry Development Programme has so far supported 82 investments worth a total of HUF 86 billion (EUR 246.0m), 31 of which, totalling at HUF 37 billion, have already been implemented, he said. The number of jobs saved by the investments may reach 5,700, he said.