The US FDA = Food and Drug Administration issued an "emergency use permission" on the 23rd for a drug that is being developed by major pharmaceutical company Merck and is being approved by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in Japan. I put it out.
On the 23rd, the FDA issued an "emergency use permit" to enable the use of Merck's antiviral drug "molnupiravir" before official approval, saying that it has the effect of preventing the aggravation of the infection of the new coronavirus. Did.
The target is people over the age of 18 who are at high risk of becoming severe, and should be prescribed immediately after the infection is confirmed and should be started within 5 days.
Molnupiravir is a drug that suppresses the growth of the virus and prevents it from becoming more severe.In clinical trials, when it was started within 5 days of onset in adults at high risk of becoming more severe, the risk of hospitalization was reduced by 30%. Has been announced.
On the other hand, the FDA says that it should be used only when other treatments are not available or for health reasons, and doctors and others say that the effect of the medication outweighs the risk for pregnant women. Only when it is judged.
Regarding Molnupiravir, the U.S. government has agreed with Merck to purchase 3.1 million doses, and the UK, which has already approved it, has decided on an additional contract to cope with the surge in infected people, but France is in clinical trials. The response is divided, such as canceling the order because it was not as effective as originally expected.
In Japan, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare will hold an expert group on the 24th, after which it is expected to officially approve it as the first new corona drug in Japan.