23/08/2024 (Agence Europe) – The European Commission’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) has signed, on behalf of the Member States of the European Union, a joint procurement framework contract with the pharmaceutical company Scandinavian Biopharma Distribution AB for the supply of a medicine used in the treatment of diphtheria, the institution announced on 6 August. Eight EU Member States are participating in this agreement, under which they can jointly purchase 1,600 vials of diphtheria antitoxin. Stella Kyriakides, European Commissioner for Health, believes that thanks to this joint purchase, “we are taking further action, together with our Member States, to protect the health of European citizens against a clear cross border health threat. Diphtheria is a rare yet serious infection that can prove deadly, especially for children. (LC)