WHO approves the first oral treatment against Covid

The first oral treatment against Covid has been approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO)

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced this Thursday, March 10, the inclusion of the antiviral molnupiravir in its list of recommended treatments against Covid-19. As a result, it becomes the first oral drug recommended by this body against the virus.

The WHO, however, recommends its use only among Covid-19 patients who have not developed severe forms of the virus, but who nevertheless run a very high risk of hospitalisation. These include unvaccinated people, the elderly, patients with immunological deficiencies, or those with chronic diseases. Its use among children, and pregnant, or lactating women, is not advised though.

Produced by the firm Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD), this treatment is consumed in pill form. According to the WHO, if used with the first symptoms of infection are recognised, it can prevent hospitalisations.

The WHO recommends the consumption of four pills (800 milligrams) of the drug twice a day for five days, the usual time for the development of symptoms of the disease. These recommendations are based on data obtained from six randomised trials involving 4,796 patients.

Doctors Without Borders had already warned in 2021 that a five-day treatment with molnupiravir at market prices could cost around €640 ($700), although if it were developed with alternative generics, which, for example, are already manufactured in India, it could go down to €18 ($20), as reported by diariodesevilla.es.

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