Antiviral COVID-19 pill gains momentum as European Union medical agency begins ...

Antiviral COVID-19 pill gains momentum as European Union medical agency begins ...
Antiviral COVID-19 pill gains momentum as European Union medical agency begins ...

The European Union's drug regulator is beginning to review Merck's antiviral COVID-19 drug, which is taken as an oral pill.

Experts have said this drug is a potential 'game-changer' for the pandemic as the first Covid treatment that would not require needles or intravenous infusions.

A clinical trial found that the pill halves the risks of Covid hospitalization and death for patients who are at high risk due to their age or medical conditions.

The European agency's review follows several large orders of Merck's pill, including France's purchase of 50,000 doses.

Merck applied for emergency use authorization at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) earlier in October. If it's approved, the U.S. will receive over one million doses.

Merck's antiviral pill may be a 'game-changer' as the first Covid drug to not require needles or intravenous infusions. Pictured: Merck's pills, in a photo released by the company

Merck's antiviral pill may be a 'game-changer' as the first Covid drug to not require needles or intravenous infusions. Pictured: Merck's pills, in a photo released by the company

Vaccines continue to be the most effective tools to protect people against Covid infection, severe disease, and death.

But for people who are particularly vulnerable to severe symptoms and for regions of the world that don't yet have ready access to vaccines, drugs are an important part of mitigating Covid.

To that end, an antiviral drug made by the U.S. pharmaceutical company Merck is gaining momentum as a potential 'game-changer' for the future of the pandemic.

On Monday, the company announced that it asked the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to consider its drug for approval.

The EU's drug regulator will conduct a 'rolling review,' in which the agency reviews data as soon as information becomes available.

This type of review expedites the approval process, as the agency does not need to wait for a formal application with all necessary data.

Merck developed this pill - formally named molnupiravir - with Ridgeback

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