Merck formally requests FDA authorization for COVID-19 antiviral pill

Merck said on Monday that it has requested authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its antiviral COVID-19 pill.

Merck said in a statement that emergency use authorization was requested “for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adults who are at risk for progressing to severe COVID-19 and/or hospitalization.”

The pharmaceutical company said earlier this month that testing showed that molnupiravir, which is administered as a five-day treatment and was developed with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, reduced the risk of hospitalization by 50 percent. ...

Merck has already agreed to sell the pills to countries like Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Australia. ...