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 Under the procedure, also known as a "rolling review", the European
Medicines Agency (EMA) would assess data as soon as it becomes
available, instead of waiting for a formal application when all
required information has been gathered.
While vaccines are the main weapons against COVID-19, Merck's
experimental pill molnupiravir could be a game-changer after studies
showed it could halve the chances of dying or being hospitalised for
those most at risk of contracting severe illness.
Merck, which is developing molnupiravir with partner Ridgeback
Biotherapeutics, filed for U.S. emergency use authorization for the
drug on Oct. 11. A panel of outside advisers to the U.S. health
regulator are now slated to meet late in November to discuss whether
to authorize the experimental antiviral pill.
Molnupiravir if approved by regulators, would be the first COVID-19
drug administered orally and also the first treatment for mildly
ailing patients, whereas existing drugs are mostly used to treat the
critically ill.
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 The drugmaker has a contract
with the U.S. government to supply 1.7 million
courses of the drug at a price of $700 per
course. It also recently signed supply deals
with countries including Britain, Malaysia and
Singapore.
An EU official told Reuters earlier in the month
that the bloc too was also considering signing a
supply agreement for the antiviral pill, but
would do so only after the company started the
process of seeking approval.
(Reporting by Mrinmay Dey and Shubham Kalia in
Bengaluru; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty)
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