Merck’s Covid-19 Antiviral Pill Expected to Arrive in Indonesia Next Month

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Oral Covid-19 antiviral medicine Molnupiravir produced by U.S. drugmaker Merck is expected to arrive in Indonesia end of this year, the country’s top health official said.

Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said that the pharmaceutical is still waiting for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to grant emergency use authorization to its covid-19 antiviral pill.

“We expect that Molnupiravir to arrive in Indonesia by the end of the year and we will use it for next year,” Budi told a press conference on Monday, November 15.

Also read: Covid-19 Antiviral Pill Plant to be Developed in Indonesia, Senior Minister Says

He hoped that the FDA will authorize the emergency use of Molnupiravir in early December. The ministry will also study other Covid-19 antiviral treatments.

“We are collaborating with the country’s Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) to study other Covid-19 antiviral medicine that can reduce the risk of hospital admission for treating people who have Covid-19,” the minister said.

It was previously reported that Indonesia would buy 600,000 to one million Molnupiravir pills, which are claimed to be the Covid-19 antiviral treatment, produced by Merck.

The collaboration was initially discussed during his recent visit to the United States. The plan to buy the Covid-19 antiviral treatment was disclosed by Budi during his working meeting with members of the House of Representatives Commission IX last week. At the meeting, he explained that the purchase was made to anticipate a surge in Covid-19 cases following the year-end holiday.

(Writer: Haryanti Puspa Sari | Editor: Dani Prabowo)

Source: https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2021/11/15/17082581/menkes-obat-molnupiravir-siap-digunakan-tahun-depan.