News 4 November 2021
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Author: GRM DAILY

UK Authorises First Pill To Treat Covid

Author GRM DAILY
4 November 2021
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The UK medicines regulator has authorised the experimental pill, molnupiravir, to treat Covid-19 – making it the first country to give the green light to the drug.

The pill – which is the first dedicated oral antiviral medication for Covid – was created by U.S pharmaceutical company Merck who have said they “will continue to move with both rigor and urgency to bring molnupiravir to patients around the world as quickly as possible.”

In a clinical trail of molnupiravir on 775 patients, 7.3% of those who were given the drug were hospitalised. None of those who received the pill had died but eight people who were given a placebo later passed away from Covid.

The pill has been authorised by the Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency in hopes to prevent the onset of serious disease for those who test positive for coronavirus.

The treatment has been licensed for those aged 18 and over who test positive for the virus and have at least one risk factor for developing severe disease. People prescribed the treatment will have to take the pill twice a day.

Health secretary Sajid Javid described the drug as a “gamechanger”.

In a statement he said: “Today is a historic day for our country, as the UK is now the first country in the world to approve an antiviral that can be taken at home for Covid.”

“We are working at pace across the government and with the NHS to set out plans to deploy molnupiravir to patients through a national study as soon as possible.”

[Image by Oleksiy Mark via Shutterstock]