Vaccines are the primary antidote that can keep the virus severity from increasing, but there is a game-changing drug that could soon arrive in India. The emergency use authorization for Merck drug Molnupiravir -- an oral antiviral medicine that could treat mild to moderate Covid-19 is likely "within days". Speaking to news agency NDTV, Dr Ram Vishwakarma, Chairman of the Covid Strategy Group, CSIR, said that the medicine is for those adults who are at the risk of developing severe covid or hospitalization, further, adding that another pill from Pfizer, Paxlovid, may take some more time.
These two medicines will make a difference, he said, stressing, "as we move from pandemic to endemic, these are the ones which are going to be more important than vaccination".
Terming the pills the "final nail in the coffin of the virus by science", Mr Vishwakarma said that the Molnupiravir will be available to us. There are five companies sitting with the drug manufacturer and the drug will have an approval any day, he informed.
He said the drug regulators in India already have the Data for Molnupiravir and are waiting for the UK’s approval.
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"So already SECs are looking at it. And I think they will get faster approval now. And therefore, it would be safe to say that within the next one month, there would be a decision on approval for the Merck drug,” he said.
American giant Pfizer has been at the forefront in the Covid vaccine manufacturing race, administering more than 2.5 billion doses and has now come up with an antiviral pill to treat the disease.
The firm said that in its primary clinical trial, data found Paxlovid to cut the risk of hospitalisation or death by 89 per cent in vulnerable adults.
Five Indian pharma companies have already been contracted by Merck and in the same manner, Pfizer will also adopt the same route as the firm will utilize the Indian capacity to produce the drugs that are required for global usage.
Mr Vishwakarma further said that the price of the drug will be far lower than the 700 dollars that's being considered in the US for the Merck vaccine as in the US it is costly for various other reasons and not only for the manufacturing cost.
"I think here when the government of India comes into play, they will buy in bulk from these companies and of course, they will have a dual pricing system and a staggered pricing system," he added.
According to Mr Vishwakarma, the pill initially may cost "2000 to 3000 or 4000 rupees per cycle of treatment, then it will come down to 500 to 600 or 1,000 rupees".
Indian pharma companies that are collaborating with Merck for clinical trials of Molnupiravir in India are Cipla, Dr Reddy's, Emcure, Sun and Torrent.
Vaccines are precautionary measures in the battle against Coronavirus, drugs cut down the dangers of severe infection which will support the world’s therapeutic armoury against the virus.
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Molnupiravir is the first oral tablet developed for treating symptomatic Covid-19 patients. Both Pfizer's Paxlovid and Merck's Molnupiravir are oral pills. Neither of the medicine should be assumed to be taken as a preventive measure and must be consumed only by those who tested positive for Covid-19 and show symptoms.
Until recently, medicines used to manage the infection are repurposed drugs like Remdesivir, Tocilizumab, Dexamethasone, Budesonide etc.
Pfizer’s Paxlovid three pills must be given twice a day to covid positive patients and must be given within three to five days of the onset of infection. Whereas, four pills of Merck's Molnupiravir must be given twice a day to patients, within five days of the onset of infection.