November 30 (Reuters) – A panel of experts advising the US drug regulator on Tuesday recommended, by a narrow majority, the urgent authorization of the antiviral treatment against COVID-19 developed by the Merck laboratory.
If the FDA decides to follow this recommendation, it will be the first oral treatment authorized in the United States since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in early 2020.
Authorization of molnupiravir, the name of the blood cell therapy developed by Merck, is likely to be restricted to people at high risk of developing a severe form of the disease.
This vote came as the appearance of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus has revived health concerns around the world, with the fear that a new wave of the pandemic is weighing on the economy. (Report Manas Mishra Bangalore; French version Jean Terzian)
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