The U.K. authorized the use of Merck’s antiviral COVID-19 pill molnupiravir on Thursday, becoming the first country in the world to approve the experimental medication.
Merck says the drug, developed in tandem with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, reduces the risk of hospitalization or death from COVID-19 by half in high-risk patients exhibiting mild to moderate symptoms. It will be called Lagevrio in the U.K.
“This will be a game-changer for the most vulnerable and the immunosuppressed, who will soon be able to receive the ground-breaking treatment,” said U.K.’s Health Secretary Sajid Javid in a statement.
“This antiviral will be an excellent addition to our armoury against COVID-19,” he said, adding that it still “remains vital everyone comes forward for their life-saving Covid-19 vaccine.”
The Washington Post reports:
Experts say that if widely authorized, [molnupiravir] could have huge potential to help fight the coronavirus pandemic: Pills are easier to take, manufacture and store, making them particularly useful in lower- to middle-income countries with weaker infrastructure and limited vaccine supplies.
“Molnupiravir works by introducing genetic errors that garble the coronavirus’s genetic code and prevent it from making copies of itself,” adds The Post.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has empaneled an advisory committee to meet on November 30th to discuss if the pill should be authorized for emergency use. The U.S. has already committed $1.2 billion to buy 1.7 courses of the pill.
Merck CEO Robert Davis told CNBC that his company is on pace to make 10 million pills by the end of 2021 and double that in 2022.
The New Jersey based company has also agreed to share molnupiravir’s formula with a U.N.-backed nonprofit organization and several drugmakers in India.
