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FDA Approves a Second COVID-Fighting Pill

The approval for Merck’s pill comes a day after the FDA green-lit Pfizer’s more effective pill.

The FDA has authorized a second pill to fight the effects of COVID-19. The pill made by Merck, called molnupiravir, disrupts the genetic sequencing of COVID, thus mitigating its effects and the likelihood of hospitalization. The pill is expected to be highly effective against Omicron. At-risk patients, like the elderly or obese, will most likely be advised by doctors to take four pills twice a day for five days if they have COVID. The government plans to buy enough of the Merck pills to treat over 3 million patients. The approval comes a day after the FDA gave the green light to a similar pill made by Pfizer. Studies showed that Pfizer’s pill is more effective and has fewer side effects than Merck’s. As reported by the Associated Press, Pfizer’s pill reduced hospitalizations by 90 percent, compared to Merck’s 30 percent.