Merck & Co Inc and partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics said on Tuesday they had signed an agreement with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to supply up to 3 million courses of their COVID-19 antiviral pill.
An experimental COVID-19 treatment pill, called molnupiravir and being developed by Merck & Co Inc and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics LP, is seen in this undated handout photo released by Merck & Co Inc and obtained by Reuters May 17, 2021. Merck & Co Inc/Handout via REUTERSand partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics said on Tuesday they had signed an agreement with the United Nations Children's Fund to supply up to 3 million courses of their COVID-19 antiviral pill.
Merck would supply the pill, molnupiravir, to UNICEF through the first half of 2022 for distribution in more than 100 low- and middle-income countries upon regulatory authorizations, the companies said. The pill received authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in December and has also been authorized in several other countries including India, Mexico and the UK. Many countries have signed supply deals with Merck for the drug.
Merck said in January it expects molnupiravir to be effective against the highly contagious Omicron variant, which has driven a surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations across the world.Reporting by Manas Mishra and Amruta Khandekar in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Covid-19 news: Joint flu and covid-19 vaccine could be offered in 2023Today’s covid-19 news: · Single covid-19 and flu vaccine could be available in 2023, says Moderna CEO · England coronavirus restrictions might end in March · Thousands of hamsters euthanised in Hong Kong following evidence of coronavirus transmission
Read more »
Skin Picking, Nail Biting, And Other Compulsive Behaviors Have Increased During The PandemicI pull on my hair quite a bit on a good day, so when my mind is tied up with COVID-19, social distancing, and all the changes to our daily schedules, my ritual of playing with my hair is something I can control — so I do it a lot more.
Read more »
Pharrell Williams Calls For Economic Equity During Martin Luther King Jr. EventPharrell Williams is challenging corporate America to “do more” by supporting entrepreneurs of color and adopting economic equity measures.
Read more »
'The struggle is real': Educators work to keep classrooms open despite COVID surgeAccording to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, more than 7,000 school staff and at least 40,000 students tested positive for COVID-19 between Jan. 6 and Jan. 13:
Read more »
Coronavirus tally: Omicron cases may be peaking in northeastern states but national rate is at record highThe omicron variant of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 has pushed U.S. new cases to a record high of about 800,000 a day, but in a sign welcomed by...
Read more »
Austria tweaks vaccine mandate plan, to come in next monthAustrian government presents revised plans for its proposed COVID-19 vaccine mandate, which it says will now apply to all residents age 18 and over, rather than 14 as originally intended.
Read more »