In efforts to boost the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, Britain has on Thursday become the first country in the world to approve a potentially COVID-19 antiviral pill jointly developed by US-based Merck, a pharmaceutical company, and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics. The UK's Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) recommended the pill for the treatment of mild symptomatic COVID-19, making it the first oral medication in the world to get approval.
The antiviral pill called Lagevrio in the UK will be used to treat mild to moderate cases of the COVID-19 and at least one risk factor for developing serious illness including diabetes, heart disease, old age, or obesity.
In a statement, the British Health Secretary, Sajid Javid said the development marked a "historic day for our country, as the U.K. is now the first country in the world to approve an antiviral that can be taken at home for COVID-19."
"This will be a gamechanger for the most vulnerable and the immunosuppressed," Javid said.
He added that the British Government is working alongside the UK's National Health Service to effectively deploy the medication to patients through a national study.
The Health secretary further said that "This antiviral will be an excellent addition to our armoury against Covid-19," noting that, it still "remains vital everyone comes forward for their life-saving Covid-19 vaccine," as well as for booster shots,
