By Kimberly Chin

 

Merck & Co. and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics LP said the U.K. government has ordered an additional 1.75 million courses of molnupiravir, its investigational oral antiviral Covid-19 drug.

The procurement agreement follows the U.K.'s previous order for 480,000 courses of the treatment.

The drug, which will also be known by its planned trademark of Lagevrio, received a conditional marketing authorization in the U.K. in early November to treat patients with mild to moderate Covid-19 in adults who have at least one risk factor that can lead to severe illness. The drug is currently available and used as a treatment by patients in the U.K.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is reviewing an emergency-use authorization for molnupiravir.

Separately, the U.K. ordered an additional 2.5 million courses of Pfizer Inc.'s investigational oral antiviral Covid-19 drug, which goes by the name Paxlovid, on top of its previous order of 250,000 courses. The drug is still awaiting regulatory authorization and recommendation for use.

 

Write to Kimberly Chin at kimberly.chin@wsj.com

 

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

December 22, 2021 06:45 ET (11:45 GMT)

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