The Hungarian government is subsidizing an expansion of pharmaceutical company Pannonpharma’s plant in Pécsvárad, southern Hungary, designed to manufacture drugs against the coronavirus, Finance Minister Mihály Varga said.
The plant, built from a 1.6 billion (EUR 4.6m) forint investment, will produce an interferon-based gel designed to activate the immune system suppressed by the virus, and a pill with the same active substance to eliminate coronavirus in the stomach and intestines.
In a video message posted on Facebook, Varga said 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, Varga said. The Health Industry Development Programme has so far supported 82 investments worth a total of 86 billion forints (EUR 246.0m), 31 of which, totaling 37 billion forints, have already been implemented, he said. The number of jobs saved by the investments may reach 5,700, he said.
Featured image: illustration via Attila Balázs/MTI
