United States health regulators have authorised a second antiviral pill against COVID-19, providing another easy-to-use medication to battle the rising tide of Omicron infections.The US Food and Drug Administration authorised Merck’s molnupiravir on Thursday. The approval comes a day after the agency cleared a competing drug from Pfizer. That pill, Paxlovid, is likely to become the first-choice treatment against the virus, thanks to its superior benefits and milder side effects.Merck’s drug was shown to reduce hospitalisations and deaths by about 30 percent in a clinical trial of high-risk individuals early in the course of the illness. The FDA authorised the oral drug for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adults who are at risk for severe disease, and for whom alternative coronavirus treatments are not accessible or clinically appropriate.
Load More
Load More