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FDA approves Merck's COVID-19 pill
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Thursday it has issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for molnupiravir, a COVID-19 oral drug developed by Merck & Co., Inc.
The pill can be used for the treatment of mild-to-moderate coronavirus cases, the FDA said in an announcement, adding that, unlike Pfizer's oral drug, which received its EUA the day prior, molnupiravir shouldn't be used in people younger than 18.
"Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorized treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate and will be a useful treatment option for some patients with COVID-19 at high risk of hospitalization or death," Director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research Patrizia Cavazzoni commented.