The Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Authority (MHRA) has this morning approved the world’s first oral anti-viral treatment for Covid-19. The pill is called Lagevrio and is manufactured by Merck.
The UK is the first country to approve the drug. US and European watchdogs are still looking at it. According to The Telegraph:
The MHRA said the treatment was safe and reduced the risk of hospitalisation and death in vulnerable people with mild to moderate Covid by half.
Sajid Javid, the Health Secretary, said the drug’s approval marked a “historic day for our country”.
“The UK is now the first country in the world to approve an antiviral that can be taken at home for Covid-19. This will be a gamechanger for the most vulnerable and the immunosuppressed, who will soon be able to receive the ground-breaking treatment,” he said.
In a statement, the Chief Executive of the MHRA, June Raine said:
“Lagevrio is another therapeutic to add to our armoury against Covid. It can be taken by mouth rather than administered intravenously. This is important, because it means it can be administered outside of a hospital setting, before COVID-19 has progressed to a severe stage.”
Hmmm. I wonder how much it will cost? I bet it won’t be cheap. 35 years ago, Merck brought Ivermectin to the market. It was initially sold as a veterinary antiparasitic. It was then cleared for use in humans.
It was quickly discovered that it was also effective against viruses, in particular respiratory infections. Doctors have been prescribing it as an anti-viral for years, with great success. It’s a generic drug now as the patents have expired. Essentially, there is no money in it.
The US Food & Drug Administration and the MHRA have banned doctors from prescribing it for covid-19. Hundreds of thousands of doctors around the world maintain that it’s a safe, effective and cheap treatment for covid.
MHRA chief June Raine told a commons select committee last year, that in her opinion, the role of the MHRA was to “provide access” to pharmaceutical companies.
They love her over at Merck headquarters, that’s for sure.
