COVID-19 Reports
[COVID-19] UK Authorises Merck’s Antiviral Pill
- The pill was licensed for adults 18 and older who have tested positive for COVID-19…
EKO HOT BLOG reports that Britain has granted a conditional authorization to Merck’s coronavirus antiviral, the first pill shown to successfully treat COVID-19.
It is the first country to approve the treatment, although it was not immediately clear how quickly the pill would be available.
The pill was licensed for adults 18 and older who have tested positive for COVID-19 and have at least one risk factor for developing severe disease.
The drug, known as molnupiravir, is intended to be taken twice a day for five days by people at home with mild to moderate COVID-19.
Read also: Germany Fears Fourth Wave As COVID-19 Cases Reach Record High
An antiviral pill that reduces symptoms and speeds recovery could prove groundbreaking, easing caseloads on hospitals and helping to curb outbreaks in poorer countries with fragile health systems.
It would also bolster the two-pronged approach to the pandemic: treatment, by way of medication, and prevention, primarily through vaccinations.
Molnupiravir is also pending review at regulators in the US, Europe and elsewhere.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced last month it would convene a panel of independent experts to scrutinize the pill’s safety and effectiveness in late November.
Initial supplies will be limited as Merck has said it can produce 10 million treatment courses through the end of the year, but much of that supply has already been purchased by governments worldwide.
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