QUESTIONS RAISED

FDA: Merck’s COVID Pill Is Effective—but Is It Safe for Everyone?

Federal regulators want experts to weigh in on whether the experimental treatment should be used on pregnant people.

The FDA has deemed Merck’s COVID-19 pill treatment effective—but the agency has red-flagged possible safety risks, the Associated Press reported. The agency wants outside experts to weigh in on whether the experimental drug could cause birth defects, which could lead to a warning for pregnant people. Merck has already agreed that the product, Molnupiravir, is off-limits for kids. The FDA also noted in an analysis made public on Friday that the drug can causes changes to the virus—raising the specter of the pill spawning variants. The FDA is holding a public meeting next week to discuss the issues it has identified in the pill—which is already authorized for emergency use in the United Kingdom.