By Abdul Kimera
As soon as an independent panel had recommended the three trials after promising results, U.S pharmaceutical company Merck said that it came up with the first pill that is Covid-19 effective.
According to the pharmaceutical giants, its experimental pills that will be prescribed by doctors two times in five days, reduce hospitalizations and deaths by half in those affected hence cutting the worst effects of Covid-19.
The pandemic has claimed nearly 700,000 lives recently in the United States, which has prompted the federal government to place an advance of over one million courses of treatment.
A total of 40 pills will be required over the course of treatment, and these are designed to stop coronavirus from replicating by inserting errors into its genetic code.
According to the company it is expecting to make enough pills for more than nine million people by the end of the year 2021.
Studies have also shown that the Merck pill appeared less effective than antibody treatments and it reduces hospitalizations and deaths by at least 70% in high-risk Covid patients.
Though Merck has announced its first drug, other clinical trials from Pfizer, Atea pharmaceuticals, and Roche are also expected in a few months.
The world’s second-largest vaccine maker and other pill developers are also testing whether the pills can also prevent illness in people living in the same household as those infected.
If authorized, this would be the second antiviral treatment for Covid-9 next to Remdesivir that hasn’t gotten favor among clinicians.
