The United States government has agreed to purchase $1.2 billion worth of an experimental COVID-19 treatment สมัครสล็อต from Merck if the drug is approved by regulators, the pharmaceutical company announced Wednesday. This purchase would provide enough medication to fully treat 1.7 million people with the new drug.

Molnupiravir, which is currently in Phase 3 clinical trials, is being tested on study participants who have been diagnosed with COVID-19, aren't hospitalized and have one or more risk factors, such as diabetes, obesity or old age, associated with worse. outcomes from the disease.

If the 1850-patient global study shows promising results, meaning it reduces participants' risk of hospitalization or death, Merck plans to apply to the Food and Drug Administration for emergency use authorization in the second half of 2021. The company expects to have enough of the drug available by the end of the year to fully treat 10 million people.

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"In addition to this agreement with the U.S. government, we are actively engaged in numerous efforts to make molnupiravir available globally to fulfill Merck's commitment to widespread access," Rob Davis, Merck's president, said in a statement.