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 Asia's third-largest economy has already said it will allow COVID-19
booster shots for some of its population as some Indian states
logged an uptick in Omicron cases.
The emergency approvals come at a time measures are being taken to
ramp up oxygen supplies and strengthen the country's health
infrastructure.
Molnupiravir will be manufactured in India by 13 companies for
restricted use under emergency situation for treatment of adult
patients with COVID-19, the country's Health Minister Mansukh
Mandaviya said on Tuesday.
Merck's anti-viral pill molnupiravir was authorised by the United
States last week for certain high-risk adult patients and has been
shown to reduce hospitalisations and deaths by around 30% in a
clinical trial.
Earlier this year, Aurobindo Pharma, Cipla, Sun Pharmaceuticals and
some others signed non-exclusive voluntary licensing agreements with
Merck to manufacture and supply molnupiravir in India.
Two other COVID-19 vaccines, Serum Institute of India's version of
Novavax Inc's shot, Covovax, and homegrown drugmaker Biological E's
Corbevax were also granted emergency use approval, Mandaviya said on
Twitter.
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 Medical experts have said India needs to double
down on its vaccine campaign and some states
have imposed night curfews and other
restrictions in the run up to New Year
festivities to prevent a spike in infections and
a repeat of summer 2021 when a devastating
second wave of infections left tens of thousands
dead.
The country's inoculation drive so far has been
dominated by a domestically produced version of
the AstraZeneca COVID-19 shot by Serum Institute
and Bharat Biotech's inactivated vaccine Covaxin.
India has so far administered 1.43 billion
COVID-19 vaccine doses and 62% of its eligible
population have received both doses. The country
plans to start vaccinating those aged 15-18 from
Jan. 3.
(Reporting by Chandini Monnappa in Bengaluru;
Editing by Rupam Jain and Shounak Dasgupta)
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