As the world worries that the omicron coronavirus variant may cause a surge of cases and weaken vaccines, drug developers have some encouraging news: Two new COVID-19 pills are coming soon, and are expected to work against all versions of the virus.
The Food and Drug Administration is expected to soon authorize a pill made by Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, called molnupiravir, which reduces the risk of hospitalization and death from COVID-19 by 30% if taken within five days of the onset of symptoms.
Another antiviral pill, developed by Pfizer, may perform even better. An interim analysis showed that the drug was 85% effective when taken within five days of the start of symptoms. The FDA could authorize it by year’s end.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.