US Increases Its Order of the Merck COVID-19 Antiviral Pill

The United States government committed to purchasing 1.7 million doses of molnupiravir—the Merck antiviral medication for COVID-19—in June, and has since increased its order by 1.4 million doses. Molnupiravir has been shown to decrease hospitalizations and deaths by 50% among individuals with COVID-19. The pill, which is taken twice daily for 5 days, would be the first exclusively designed to fight COVID-19. The United Kingdom approved its use for individuals with mild to moderate illness who also have at least one comorbidity. Merck has submitted an application for Emergency Use Authorization to the US Food and Drug Administration, which is scheduled to review it on November 30. Click here to read more.