UK becomes the first country to approve Covid antiviral pill jointly developed by US based Merck and Ridgeback Bio therapeutics. This becomes the first oral antiviral therapy for Covid 19.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has recommended that the drug Molnupiravir should be used after a person has tested Covid 19 positive. This drug should be used twice daily for five days after the onset of the symptoms.
The recommendation is for the usage in people who have mild to moderate form of the disease and have at least one risk factor for developing severe illness such as diabetes, heart disease or old age. Molnupiravir would be branded as Lageviro in Britain. This drug has been constantly under a watch as has shown to reduce the chances of hospitalisation or death in Covid patients. This drug is designed to introduce errors into the genetic code of the corona virus.
Last month Britain secured a deal with Merck for the doses of the drug.
Merck had issued a statement that they are expected to produce 10 million courses of treatment by the end of 2021. They expect to produce 20 million courses in 2022.
