The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized this Thursday the emergency use of the pill against COVID-19 from the pharmaceutical company Merck, thus adding a second oral treatment against the coronavirus virus in less than 24 hours.
The
molnupiravir
, name of the drug, "is limited to situations where other treatments approved by the FDA for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate ,
" the agency said in a statement.
Antiviral pills against COVID-19 from the pharmaceutical company Merck & Co. Merck & Co / AP
"It will be a useful treatment option for some COVID-19 patients at high risk of hospitalization or death," he added.
The treatment is not licensed for patients under the age of 18 because it can affect bone and cartilage growth, the FDA noted.
[Will COVID-19 stay with us forever? This is what scientists think]
The regulatory agency on Wednesday authorized Pfizer's COVID-19 pill for emergency use, which produces mild side effects and offers high efficacy, including a nearly 90% reduction in hospitalizations and deaths among patients with higher chance of getting severe disease.