Supplies of a life-saving COVID-19 treatment have arrived in Australia, with the Health Minister confident Australia will also soon acquire an antiviral COVID-19 drug taken in tablet form.

Fifteen thousand doses of sotrovimab have landed in Australia in recent days.

The drug has been shown to keep people with mild COVID symptoms from developing more severe cases that might lead to hospitalisation or death.

People with COVID-19 symptoms who receive a single intravenous dose of sotrovimab are 79 per cent less likely to be hospitalised or die from the disease, according to the Health Department.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said sotrovimab will reduce the impact of COVID-19 for many people who catch it.

"That will be available to patients who are at risk of their COVID becoming serious, and it is already saving lives and protecting lives," Mr Hunt said.

The government expects roughly 8 to 15 per cent of people who catch COVID-19 will be recommended for sotrovimab treatment, which must be administered within five days of symptoms appearing.

A total of 7,700 doses were secured in August in advance of the drug's approval by the medicines regulator, which was given on August 20.

That order has since been increased, with a total 31,000 doses due to arrive in coming months.

COVID-19 tablet could be available early next year

Mr Hunt said the government was also in "very advanced" discussions to acquire another experimental COVID-19 treatment nicknamed 'molnu'.

Molnupiravir, or molnu, is an antiviral tablet made by Merck & Co that has been hailed as a breakthrough treatment, with clinical data suggesting it can halve instances of hospitalisation or death among people with mild COVID symptoms.

The tablet is yet to receive authorisation in the US, but the results from its late-stage trials were so positive that independent monitors recommended they be stopped early, so the company could apply for emergency approvals.

Mr Hunt said he was already in discussions with the local head of Merck & Co.

"I was speaking with the Australian CEO on Thursday, Friday and Saturday about this. I'll just put it this way, we're very well placed and in advanced discussions with them, and I'd say stay tuned to hear more on that one," he told 3AW.

"If it were available, we would hope that it could be brought forward to the first half of next year, if not earlier."

Loading form...