Japan approves Merck pill for COVID-19 treatment

A Japanese health panel on Friday recommended approval of Merck’s COVID-19 antiviral pill, according to Reuters.

The decision sets up the distribution of 200,000 doses across the country based on plans previously announced by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

“I’m convinced the distribution of this drug is a major step forward for our nation’s COVID-19 handling,” health minister Shigeyuki Goto reportedly said after the decision.

America’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday authorized Merck’s antiviral pill, the second pill available to fight the coronavirus.

The narrow authorization only applies to high-risk adults “for whom alternative COVID-19 treatment options authorized by the FDA are not accessible or clinically appropriate.”

The other pill, produced by Pfizer, has performed dramatically better in trials.

However, Merck’s is likely to be in higher supply globally to start.

The White House said Wednesday that 3 million doses of the Merck pill would be available in January, compared to 265,000 for Pfizer.