A supply and purchase deal announced by Merck on Wednesday will offer Singapore with access to its experimental oral COVID-19 antiviral medicine, making it the latest Asian country to try to secure supplies of the drug.
Molnupiravir is an oral antiviral treatment for COVID-19 that is intended to create abnormalities into the virus' genetic code. It would be the first oral antiviral medication for the virus.
When compared to a placebo, Molnupiravir, which was developed in conjunction with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, reduced the rate of hospitalization or death in persons with COVID-19 by half, Merck said.
According to Merck, the medication proved effective against three primary COVID-19 variants: the gamma, delta, and mu types. It was evaluated on individuals with mild-to-moderate infections who were at risk but were not admitted to the hospital.
As Pang Lai Li, managing director of MSD in Singapore and Malaysia, put it in the release, "MSD believes a spectrum of medications and vaccines would be required to make a significant impact on the pandemic."
As part of Singapore's "forward-looking policy of pandemic management," the partnership represents another demonstration of the government's commitment to investing in innovative treatments and vaccines in order to combat the epidemic.
When contacted for confirmation of the Merck arrangement, Singapore's health ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Australia has also purchased the Merck pill, and South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, and Taiwan have all expressed an interest in purchasing it. The Philippines is hoping that its trial of the pill would grant them access to the drug.
According to MSD, data from clinical trials indicate that the medicine is most effective when administered early in the course of an infection.
Singapore has one of the world's highest vaccination rates and is considering a shift away from its "Covid Zero Strategy" program in favor of a more natural way of life in the face of the virus.
Merck intends to apply for an emergency use authorization for the pill in the United States as soon as possible, and to submit applications to regulatory agencies throughout the world as soon as practicable.
