Leave Ivermectin to your dogs. There's a new drug in town.
MSD announces agreement to provide Singapore with antiviral drug molnupiravir for COVID-19 treatment
FILE PHOTO: MSD's new antiviral medication pill is currently being evaluated in two Phase 3 clinical trials. (Photo: Merck & Co via AP)
06 Oct 2021 11:55AM(Updated: 06 Oct 2021 01:42PM)
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SINGAPORE: Pharmaceutical company MSD announced on Wednesday (Oct 6) that it has entered a supply and purchase agreement with Singapore to provide
molnupiravir, an investigational antiviral drug to treat COVID-19, if it is authorised or approved.
The drug, which is being developed in collaboration with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, is currently being evaluated in two Phase 3 clinical trials, said MSD, which is known as Merck in the United States and Canada.
One study is evaluating the drug for the treatment of non-hospitalised patients with “laboratory-confirmed COVID-19" and at least one risk factor associated with poor disease outcomes.
The other study is evaluating molnupiravir for post-exposure prophylaxis, or treatment after the patient has been exposed to the virus.
The company said last Friday that molnupiravir has been shown during trials to reduce the risk of hospitalisation or death
by about 50 per cent for patients with mild to moderate COVID-19.
It has also been shown to be active against the most common variants of the COVID-19 virus, including the highly infectious Delta variant.
Under the agreement, Singapore will be able to access the drug once “certain regulatory milestones are achieved”, said MSD.
CNA has contacted the Ministry of Health and Health Sciences Authority for more information.
"MSD believes a range of medicines and vaccines will be needed to make an impact on the pandemic," said Ms Pang Lai Li, managing director for MSD in Singapore and Malaysia.
"This agreement is another example of Singapore’s forward-looking strategy of pandemic management and the Government’s commitment to investing in innovative medicines and vaccines to combat the pandemic."