German pharma companies are meeting the corona "stress test"

The head of the leading German pharmaceutical industry organization says German firms are working top-speed to find coronavirus medications.

"Germany is one of the world's strongest production locations where innovative, patented medications are concerned," Steutel explained. "Even amidst the stress test of the corona pandemic, Germany has remained capable of delivering and has exported significantly more patented medical products to China than it has imported from that country."

Death rates from Sars-CoV-2, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus, are far lower in Germany than almost everywhere else in the world. The VfA says German expertise is hard at work in all areas of the fight against corona-related ailments.

"There are around 60 companies and institutes working at top speed on vaccines," said Steutel. "Several dozens of existing medications are being tested to see if they can help corona patients. And a series of new medications are being developed, mostly on the basis of antibodies. German companies and institutes are part of all three efforts."

Steutel added that Germany's 44 researched-based pharmaceutical companies were cooperating internationally and with biotech firms in the search for corona medications.