The medicine is meant for adults who are at high risk to severe COVID-19 or hospitalization
On Wednesday, Dr Ram Vishwakarma, Chairman of the Covid Strategy Group, CSIR revealed that an emergency use authorization for the Merck drug Molnupiravir – an oral antiviral medicine for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 is likely to come within days. He further added that the medicine is meant for adults who are at high risk to severe COVID-19 or hospitalization. Also, another pill from Pfizer, Paxlovid may take some more time. He said that the two drugs make a difference and “as we move from pandemic to endemic, these are the ones which are going to be more important than vaccination.”
He further said “I think Molnupiravir will be already available to us. Five companies are sitting with the drug manufacturer..I think any day we will have approval of Molnupiravir.” Apparently, the date for Molnupiravir has been sitting with the regulator before the UK regulator’s approval. “So already SECs are looking at it. And I think they will they will get faster approval now. And therefore, it would be safe to say that within the next one month, there would be a decision on approval for the Merck drug.”
According to clinical trials for Pfizer, the paxlovid lowers the risk of hospitalization or death by 89 percent in adults who are more prone. Merck has contracted with five companies and given the license to several others and Pfizer will utilize the Indian capacity to manufacture the drugs that are required for the global use. He informed that the cost will be way lower than 700 dollars that’s being considered in the US for the Merck vaccine for its costly in America.
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