Oral treatment brakes the disease by limiting the ability of the SARS-COV-2 virus to duplicate. It can also be prescribed in prevention to high-risk adults.
Le Monde with AFP
The South African medicine regulator announced, Thursday, February 17, having authorized the use of the VVID-19 pill of the American Merck / MSD laboratory, intended for adults at high risk of contracting the SARS-VOC virus -2.
The South African therapeuthetic Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA), indicated in a statement to have “authorized, under conditions, the import of molnupiravir”, an oral antiviral treatment, for an initial period of six months. “The authorization of molnupiravir (…) offers additional treatment in the fight against CVIV-19,” said the boss of the Sahpra, BOITUMELO SEMEET-MAKOKOTLELA.
With more than 3.6 million infections and 96,000 deaths identified since the beginning of the epidemic, South Africa is the most affected country on the continent.
taken within five days of the appearance of the symptoms, the drug developed by MERCK / MSD limits the ability of the virus to replicate, slowing the disease. It reduces the risk of hospitalization and death of 30% among the fragile population, according to clinical trials carried out on 1,400 participants, before Omicron’s appearance. But this treatment remains “active” against the Omicron variant, assured the US company at the end of January, based on the results of six laboratory studies.
No cold chain
The Merck pill is allowed since mid-December in the United States and since the end of January in the European Union. Merck has signed a voluntary licensing agreement that will allow generic drug manufacturers to produce its medicine, to facilitate global access at an affordable price. An agreement signed in January must allow 105 low and middle-income countries to access them.
Although immunization remains the main pandemic tool, the experts welcome the arrival oral treatment of COVID-19, that of Merck and Pfizer, another American laboratory.
Easier to manufacture than vaccines and requiring no cold chain, they will be available in terms of prescription pharmacy and can be easily taken from home, while the anti-Covid treatments up to that available are administered by intravenous .