Clinical trials showed that Merck’s pill reduced the risk of hospitalization and death from the virus by 30 percent.
The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday authorized a second antiviral pill for people infected with Covid as the Biden administration works to ease the burden on hospitals swamped with patients during this most recent surge. The agency is only authorizing Merck’s pill, called molnupiravir, for people who test positive, are at high risk for severe disease and are at least 18 years old. FDA said Thursday that the pill can’t be used by patients younger than 18 because it “may affect bone and cartilage growth.” The agency also warned against its use for pregnant patients, noting that animal studies found it could cause “fetal harm,” but said individual physicians could weigh the risks and benefits and prescribe it to a pregnant person who is at high risk of severe Covid.
