Britain’s health regulators, Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have approved the world’s first pill to treat cases of symptomatic COVID-19. Britain became the first country in the world to approve a potentially game-changing COVID-19 antiviral pill jointly developed by U.S.-based Merck & Co Inc (MRK.N) and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, in a boost to the fight against the pandemic.
The antiviral Lagevrio (molnupiravir) has been found to be safe and effective at reducing the risk of hospitalization and death in people with mild to moderate COVID-19. Molnupiravir was originally created to treat flu and could go on to be prescribed twice a day diagnosed with COVID-19.