The British drug regulatory body announced yesterday that it has approved an antiviral pill against Covid-19, jointly developed by MSD pharmaceutical and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics.
The UK is the first country to approve this treatment, that has the potential to change the course of the pandemic.
The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has recommended that the product, called molnupiravir, be used as soon as possible after a positive diagnosis of Covid-19 and five days after the onset of symptoms.
This is the first oral antiviral treatment against the disease to be approved, with British approval coming before a potential 'green light' from regulatory bodies in the United States. Advisers from the US agency will meet this month to discuss whether molnupirvir should be approved.
The drug, which will be branded 'Lagevrio' in the UK, has been closely monitored. Data last month showed that it halved the chances of dying or being hospitalized from the new coronavirus for those at higher risk of developing severe forms of Covid-19, when receiving the drug early in the infection.
The British government said the country's National Health Service (NHS) will confirm, in due course, how the drug will be given to patients.
Last month, the UK struck a deal with MSD to secure 480,000 treatments of molnupirvir.
