Beautiful Virgin Islands

Saturday, Jul 05, 2025

UK approves first COVID antiviral pill for use

UK approves first COVID antiviral pill for use

The United Kingdom (UK) has become the first country globally to approve a COVID-19 antiviral pill jointly developed by US-based Merck & Co Inc and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics.

The potentially game-changing drug, molnupriavir, was recommended by Britain’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for use in people who suffer from mild to moderate symptoms of COVID-19 and have at least one risk factor for developing severe illness which includes obesity, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

The drug will be administered to patients who test positive for the coronavirus and within five days of the onset of symptoms.

The MHRA said this determination is made by clinical data gathered throughout the trial phases of the drug.

The approval for the pill is the first for an oral antiviral COVID-19 treatment worldwide and it will be the very first time the drug will be administered on a wide-scale community level.

FDA to review drug’s safety this month


Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisers from the United States are expected to meet on November 30 of this month to review the drug’s safety and efficacy and vote on whether the drug should be authorised for use in the US.

The pill, which is expected to be branded as Lageviro in the UK, has been designed to reprogram the genetic coding of the COVID-19 and introduce errors. The pill will be taken twice a day for at least five days.

The pill will be a welcomed addition for many people across the world as treatments to tackle the impacts of the virus are mainly focused on vaccines.

Also, the data by Merck’s on the pill has shown it could slash the possibility of dying or being severely hospitalised by COVID-19 by 50 percent.

Wider roll-out


A wider rollout will follow if it is clinically and cost-effective in reducing hospitalisations and death.

If the pill proves to be successful in the UK, it could mean good news for the Virgin Islands and other Caribbean states as they try to deal with the impacts of the pandemic. While the Virgin Islands has had higher uptake of the vaccines among citizens in comparison to other countries in the Caribbean, there is still some level of vaccine hesitancy in the territory.

However, this antiviral treatment provides an alternative for the vaccine. The statistics show that a little more than 52 percent of the population is fully vaccinated while six per cent has received its first dose of a two-dose vaccine.

While many people may have questions surrounding the validity of the antiviral drug because other drugs in the same class as molnupiravir has been linked to birth defects in animals, Merck & Co Inc said its testing data on animals indicate it is completely safe for use. However, the data is not yet made available to the public.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
×