(JTA) — Israel’s government reached an agreement with the pharmaceutical company Pfizer to purchase tens of thousands of doses of the company’s new anti-viral treatment for COVID. The news was first reported by Israel’s Channel 12 news station, according to The Times of Israel.

The doses, which are administered in pill form, will be shipped to Israel after the drug is approved by the Food and Drug Administration in the United States. Pfizer’s trials showed the drug to be highly effective in reducing the chance of hospitalization or death in unvaccinated people infected with the coronavirus. The pills could be approved by the agency before the end of 2021. The United States has also purchased millions of doses of the drug.

Reports of the agreement to purchase the drug from Pfizer came after Israeli Prime Minister Naftalit Bennett said the drugs could be a key part of the country’s approach to dealing with further spread of the coronavirus. Israel was among the first countries to purchase Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine and to begin vaccinating its citizens, which helped bring the pandemic under control in the country.

“If the drug is approved for use it will be another significant tool in managing the pandemic, together with vaccines for everyone and accessible tests for everyone, all the time,” Bennet said in a cabinet meeting Nov. 7, according to The Times of Israel.

The announcement comes days after Israel approved Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine for children ages 5 to 11. Inoculations for children are expected to begin in the next several days.

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