Sri Lanka's COVID-19 Technical Committee approves use of molnupiravir

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka's COVID-19 Technical Committee had granted approval for the use of Molnupiravir to treat COVID-19 in Sri Lanka.

This was confirmed to News 1st by State Minister (Professor) Channa Jayasumana on Monday (15).

The tablet - molnupiravir - is the first pill designed to treat symptomatic Covid, and it was first approved by the UK medicines regulator.

According to UK media report, it will be given twice a day to vulnerable patients recently diagnosed with the disease in the UK.

Molnupiravir, developed by the US drug companies Merck, Sharp and Dohme (MSD), and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, is the first antiviral medication for Covid which can be taken as a pill rather than injected or given intravenously.

The drug needs to be given within five days of symptoms developing to be most effective, reported the BBC.