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WHO

WHO-led programme aims to buy antiviral COVID-19 pills for $10

cde.news desk · 1 min read
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epa09518720 An undated handout photo released on 11 October 2021 and made available by Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., shows experimental COVID-19 treatment pills called molnupiravir. Pharmaceutical company Merck has asked the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to grant emergency use authorization to its experimental antiviral treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adults, the company announced 11 October 2021. If approved, molnupiravir will become the first antiviral pill to treat COVID-19. EPA-EFE/HANDOUT MANDATORY CREDIT HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES

A World Health Organization-led programme to ensure poorer countries get fair access to COVID-19 vaccines, tests and treatments aims to secure antiviral drugs for patients with mild symptoms for as little as $10 per course, a draft document seen by Reuters says.

Merck & Co’s experimental pill molnupiravir is likely to be one of the drugs, and other drugs to treat mild patients are being developed.

The document, which outlines the goals of the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A) until September next year, says that the programme wants to deliver about 1 billion COVID-19 tests to poorer nations, and procure drugs to treat up to 120 million patients globally, out of about 200 million new cases it estimates in the next 12 months.

The plans highlight how the WHO wants to shore up supplies of drugs and tests at a relatively low price after losing the vaccine race to wealthy nations which scooped up a huge share of the world’s supplies, leaving the world’s poorest countries with few shots.

via Reuters

Filed under WHO
Topics Covid-19WHO

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