Merck's New Covid Pill Raises Hopes For Nations Struggling To Vaccinate
NDTV
Coronavirus: If Merck's new medication hits the market, it could be a turning point in the pandemic, but the global supply picture is uncertain.
As Merck & Co. races ahead with an experimental pill that could play a pivotal role in the fight against Covid-19, efforts are intensifying to bring the drug to developing countries that have struggled to vaccinate their populations.
The global health agency Unitaid and its partners hope to reach an agreement as soon as next week to secure the first supplies of the antiviral treatment for lower- and middle-income nations, Philippe Duneton, its executive director, said in an interview. Unitaid has been in discussions with the company and generic manufacturers, he said.
"This is really what we've waited for all these months," he said. "There is a window of hope with this treatment, and now we need to collectively make it work for people" in less well-to-do countries.
If the new medication hits the market, it could be a turning point in the pandemic, but the global supply picture is uncertain. On the vaccine front, lower-income nations have been left behind. About nine months after the arrival of Covid shots, more than 55 countries have yet to vaccinate 10% of their populations. More than two dozen nations are below 2%.
