NPR

The FDA has authorized Merck's COVID pill for home use — the second in two days

The medicine, called molnupiravir, is taken twice a day for five days and works by preventing the virus from replicating. Merck says it will have 10 million packs available by the end of the month.
A photo provided by Merck of its new pill, molnupiravir, to treat COVID-19. Copyright © 2009-2021 Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., U.S.A. All rights reserved.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized the second antiviral pill to treat COVID-19 at home.

The medicine, called molnupiravir and made by Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, is taken twice a day for

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR3 min read
Taiwan's New President Urges China To Stop Its Military Intimidation
Taiwan's new President Lai Ching-te in his inauguration speech has urged China to stop its military intimidation against the self-governed island Beijing claims as its own territory.
NPR2 min read
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, A Hard-liner Who Crushed Dissent, Dies At 63
Iran's ultraconservative president, killed in a helicopter crash, oversaw a crackdown on women's protests and was linked to extrajudicial killings in the 1980s.
NPR1 min read
Church Pews and Bleachers
The 1940s are the heyday for Black baseball in Alabama, the peak of the Negro Leagues – starring a high schooler named Willie Mays. But when the Major Leagues integrate, Black teams everywhere start to fold.On this episode, host Roy Wood Jr. speaks w

Related Books & Audiobooks