Final US hurdle for Merck's COVID-19 pill: FDA panel review
ABC News
U.S. health advisers are reviewing Merck's closely watched COVID-19 pill, which could become the first easy-to-use drug for American patients
WASHINGTON -- An experimental COVID-19 drug that could soon become the first U.S.-authorized pill to treat the coronavirus faces one final hurdle Tuesday: A panel of government experts will scrutinize data on the medication from drugmaker Merck.
The Food and Drug Administration is asking its outside experts whether the agency should authorize the pill, weighing new information that it is less effective than first reported and may cause birth defects. The panel’s recommendations aren't binding but often guide FDA decisions.
Tuesday’s meeting comes as U.S. infections are rising again and health authorities worldwide scramble to size up the threat posed by the new omicron variant.
If authorized, Merck’s pill would be the first that U.S. patients could take at home to ease symptoms and speed recovery, a major step toward reducing hospital case loads and deaths. The drug, molnupiravir, is already authorized for emergency use in the U.K.
