UK authorizes Merck antiviral pill, 1st shown to treat COVID

By MATTHEW PERRONE and MARIA CHENG
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Britain has granted a conditional authorization to Merck’s coronavirus antiviral. It’s the first pill shown to successfully treat COVID-19. The U.K. is the first country to OK the treatment. But it wasn’t immediately clear how quickly the drug known as molnupiravir will be available. It’s intended to be taken at home twice a day for five days by people with mild to moderate COVID-19. An antiviral pill that reduces symptoms and speeds recovery could prove groundbreaking, easing caseloads on hospitals and helping to curb outbreaks in poorer countries with fragile health systems. Molnupiravir is also pending review by regulators in the United States and the European Union.