FDA authorizes Merck's COVID-19 oral pill, second at-home treatment to brace omicron

• Merck’s oral antiviral pill has an efficacy rate of 30% against COVID-19

• U.S. has agreed to purchase about 3.1 million molnupiravir courses for $2.2 billion

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday authorized Merck’s antiviral pill to treat COVID-19 for emergency use, adding a second pill to the nation’s arsenal to combat coronavirus.

Merck’s antiviral treatment, molnupiravir, developed in partnership with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, is cleared for anyone of 18 years of age and older who are at risk for severe disease, with mild to moderate infections.

The FDA’s approval comes a day after the agency authorized Pfizer’s oral antiviral pill for people as young as 12.

The significant advantage of oral pills is that they can be taken at home and don’t require to visit a vaccination center for an injection. The move could help the hospitals as new infections from the omicron variant are expected to surge this winter.

Effectiveness

Clinical trials found that Merck’s treatment reduced the risk of hospitalization and death by 30%, while Pfizer’s drug has an efficacy rate of 89%.

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Last month, an FDA advisory committee voted narrowly in favor of recommending the treatment concerning the drug’s effectiveness and the potential risk to pregnant women and their fetuses.

The agency said molnupiravir is not authorized for patients under age 18 as the medication may affect bone and cartilage growth.

Potential side effects of the drug include diarrhea, nausea, and dizziness, the agency mentioned.

Merck’s pills

The United States government has agreed to purchase about 3.1 million Merck’s drug courses for $2.2 billion.

Merck, on Thursday, in a statement, said the company is ready to ship “hundreds of thousands” of courses within days and 1 million courses over the next few weeks.

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An entire course of Merck’s treatment is a total of 40 pills, taken as four 200-milligram pills, twice a day for five days, and should be taken within five days of the onset of symptoms.

Picture Credit: BBC