India may soon get Emergency Use Authorisation for the Merck Covid-19 anti-viral pill, as per a report by NDTV.
Speaking to the publication, Dr Ram Vishwakarma, Chairman of the Covid Strategy Group, CSIR, said, the EUA is likely "within days." He also added that another pill from Pfizer, Paxlovid, may take more time.
The oral antiviral pills are meant for adults at risk of contracting severe Covid or being hospitalised.
Hailing both the oral medications, Dr Ram Vishwakarma said that those drugs would make a difference and would also be more important than Covid vaccination.
He also said that five companies were in talks with the drug manufacturer and that the approval could come any day now.
"Data for Molnupiravir has been 'sitting with the regulator' here before the UK regulator's approval. So already SECs are looking at it. And I think they will they will get faster approval now. And therefore, it would be safe to say that within the next one month, there would be a decision on approval for the Merck drug," he added.
On the cost of the pill, he said that while it has been priced at $700 in the US, the cost of it in India was expected to be lower given that the government would buy in bulk. He predicted that there would be a dual and staggered pricing system.
According to him, "It might initially cost Rs 2,000-3,000 or Rs 4,000 per cycle of treatment, then it will come down to Rs 500-600 or Rs 1,000."
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