Research into new ways to treat COVID-19 has played second fiddle to the global vaccine rush, but this is shifting as emerging drugs show promising results.
This includes an antiviral pill shown in trials by US pharmaceutical company Merck and Co to drastically slash hospitalisations and deaths in US trials.
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt says Australia is in advanced negotiations to obtain supplies of molnupiravir should it be approved.
The company has announced trial results showing the treatment reduced hospitalisations and deaths by around 50 per cent.
Merck plans to seek emergency authorisation for molnupiravir in the US.
Meanwhile, Australia has received 15,000 additional doses of the antibody treatment sotrovimab which is used to stop the virus replicating.
The national stockpile of the drug, administered with intravenous infusion within five days of patients developing symptoms, is expected to exceed 31,000 doses this year.
It has been shown to reduce hospitalisation or death in patients with mild or moderate infections and who are at high risk of severe illness.
While vaccines will remain the first port of all, University of South Australia epidemiologist Adrian Esterman has emphasised the importance of finding new treatments.
"There has been not much emphasis placed on research into treatment since the start of this pandemic," he told AAP on Monday.
"Even with 100 per cent of the population fully vaccinated, they'll still be virus circulating because none of the vaccines is 100 per cent effective against transmission."
At the same time, ensuring the world is vaccinated will drastically reduce the severity of the disease and the need for treatment.
"It's early days yet for the treatments and we're still waiting for many of the trials to complete to see what other treatments are potentially helpful against coronavirus," Professer Esterman said.
"Over the next few years, we can see ongoing improvements in vaccine technology, in particular to handle these different variants, and this could be a constant battle between new variants of vaccines.
"At the same time, better treatment will help cut down severe cases for those who do get infected."
Victoria has recorded new 1377 local cases and four deaths as Melbourne becomes the world's most locked down city following 246 days of stay-at-home orders.
NSW recorded 623 new cases and six people died ahead of the planned end of lockdown for fully vaccinated residents in a week.
NSW has double-dosed 67 per cent of its population aged 16 and older. Victoria has a 52 per cent full vaccination rate.
The ACT recorded 28 new cases and two more deaths, taking Canberra's death toll from the latest outbreak to eight.
Queensland recorded one new infection in the community.
Its full vaccination rate of 48 per cent is the second-lowest in the country next to Western Australia.
