Merck’s Antiviral Covid-19 Pill to Arrive in Indonesia Today, Says Health Minister

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Merck’s molnupiravir pill for the treatment of mild-to-moderate Covid-19 is expected to arrive in Indonesia today, the country’s Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin confirmed.

“Today, the imported molnupiravir pill will arrive,” Budi said in a virtual press conference on Monday, Jan. 3.

The minister said that the pills will be stored first in anticipation of a spike in Covid-19 cases. The pills will be provided for the Covid-19 patient with an oxygen saturation above 90 percent.

Also read: US FDA Approves Merck Covid-19 Drug

“We will store [the pill] first in case anything comes up as it has been proven to reduce the hospital admission rate of Covid-19 of the patient with the oxygen saturation above 94 percent.”

The media reported that Merck’s molnupiravir reduced the risk of hospitalization by approximately 50 percent of patients with Covid-19. “The antiviral Covid-19 pills will be given to patients with the oxygen saturation above 94 percent to prevent the risk of hospitalization by 50 percent,” the minister told journalists during the press conference.

He said that the government had already approached Merck to procure Molnupiravir in Indonesia. The ministry and related parties have also visited several pharmaceutical manufacturers in the world that have been granted a license by Merck to buy Molnupiravir.

The US Food and Drug Administrator (FDA) approved Merck’s Covid-19 treatment on Thursday, Dec. 23, 2021. US federal regulators only authorized Merck’s drug for adults with early symptoms of Covid-19 who are most vulnerable to severe disease. Pregnant women should not use molnupiravir according to the FDA.

(Writer: Haryanti Puspa Sari | Editor: Icha Rastika)

Source: https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2022/01/03/14104711/menkes-obat-covid-19-molnupiravir-tiba-hari-ini?page=all#page2.