FDA Officially Authorizes Merck COVID-19 Pills

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officially authorized Merck's oral COVID-19 Treatment, Molnupiravir, Al Ain reported on Thursday.

It showed promising results, and they helped in preventing severe COVID-19 symptoms, and deaths.

The clinical trials also expressed that Merck succeeded in reducing the risk of Coronavirus’ symptoms, and related deaths by 30%, on the other hand, Pfizer showed better results with 90% in dropping COVID-19 risks.

Patrizia Cavazzoni, the director of FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said: "[It] is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate and will be a useful treatment option for some patients with COVID-19 at high risk of hospitalization or death.”

Britain was the first country in the world to approve Merck’s treatment for mild to moderate COVID-19 cases.

On Tuesday, FDA’s panel recommended Merck's pills for COVID-19.

Panel member Dr. David Hardy said: “COVID-19 is still an emergency situation,” adding, “There is a need for something like this. This is the first opportunity that an oral outpatient medication for mildly symptomatic to moderately symptomatic persons will be available, although I do have questions about its overall longer-term efficacy.”