The US government has agreed to spend about $ 1.2 billion to buy 1.7 million courses of the drug Molnupiravir being tested to treat COVID-19.
Pharmaceutical company Merck & Co Inc said that the US government has agreed to spend about $ 1.2 billion to buy 1.7 million courses of the drug Molnupiravir being tested to treat COVID-19 disease, if the trial is approved. Large scale models now show the drug to be effective and are licensed by the US Drug Administration.
The US spent more than 1 billion USD on drugs to treat COVID-19 (Artwork). The oral antiviral drug Molnupiravir, which prevents the development of COVID-19 disease, is used to treat the early stages of the disease. The current trial regimen is 2 doses per day for 5 days. According to Dr. John Whyte – medical director of Merck & Co Inc. Laboratories, the US needs therapeutic drugs to be ready for the new wave of COVID-19. “This is a Tamiflu-like drug that we use to treat the flu,” said Dr John Whyte. Now we still have to do some research to make sure this drug is effective for treating COVID-19. But this is a correct strategy to prepare for new waves of COVID-19 to emerge.” Merck & Co Inc expects to produce more than 10 million courses of Molnupiravir by the end of the year and said many other countries are in discussions with the company about pre-ordering Molnupiravir. Data on the global trial of molnupiravir is expected to be released next fall. If successful, Merck & Co Inc will apply for an emergency use license as early as the second half of this year.
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