FDA clears 2nd at-home Covid treatment, from Merck
The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday authorized Merck’s antiviral pill to treat Covid-19 for emergency use, adding another tool in the nation’s arsenal to combat the virus.
The FDA’s move comes a day after it authorized another antiviral drug, from Pfizer. Merck’s treatment, known as molnupiravir and developed in partnership with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, is cleared for use in adults with mild to moderate Covid who are at risk for severe disease, the agency said in a statement. Pfizer’s pill was authorized for people as young as 12.
The big advantage of oral treatments, like Merck’s and Pfizer’s, is that they can be taken at home, and don’t require an IV or injection. That could help the nation’s hospitals as new infections are expected to continue to surge this winter.
Clinical trials found that the treatment reduced the risk of hospitalization and death among high-risk Covid patients by 30 percent.
Read Full Story
NBC News Rating
More Stories
Rep. Miller thanks Trump for ‘victory for white life,’ campaign says she misread remarks
U.S. Rep. Mary Miller immediately drew fierce backlash on social media and elsewhere at a Saturday night rally with former President Donald Trump when she credited him for the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade calling it a “victory for white life.”“I want to thank you for the historic victory for white life in the…
The Latest Fact Checks curated by Media Bias Fact Check 06/26/2022
Each day Media Bias Fact Check selects and publishes fact checks from around the world. We only utilize fact-checkers that...
MBFC’s Daily Source Bias Check: NewsBreak
QUESTIONABLE SOURCE A questionable source exhibits one or more of the following: extreme bias, consistent promotion of propaganda/conspiracies, poor or no...
Planned Parenthood of Utah sues to block abortion ban after Supreme Court ruling
Abortion rights activists demonstrate outside the United States Supreme Court in Washington, U.S., June 25, 2022. REUTERS/Evelyn HocksteinRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comLOS ANGELES, June 25 (Reuters) – The Utah branch of Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit on Saturday seeking to block the state’s abortion ban, which came into effect on Friday after…
Biden ‘does not agree with’ expanding Supreme Court: Jean-Pierre
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Saturday that President Biden “does not agree with” expanding the Supreme Court after it ruled a day before to eliminate the constitutional right to abortion. “So, I know I’ve … I was asked this question yesterday, and I’ve been asked it before — and I think…
The man most responsible for ending Roe worries that it could hurt his party
The end of the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling was the culmination of decades of work by Republicans and social...