*The US Food and Drug Administration says Molnupiravir will be available by prescription only, and should be taken as soon as possible after a diagnosis of COVID-19 and within five days of symptom onset

Alexander Davis | ConsumerConnect

Limited to use in adult patients, the United States (US) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has okayed an Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) for Merck’s molnupiravir for the treatment of mild-to-moderate new Coronavirus (COVID-19) infection.

ConsumerConnect gathered the FDA said that Molnupiravir would be available by prescription only and should be taken as soon as possible after a diagnosis of COVID-19 and within five days of symptom onset.

Molnupiravir, sold under the brand name Lagevrio among others, is an antiviral medication that inhibits the replication of certain RNA viruses.

It is used to treat COVID-19 in those infected by SARS-CoV-2.

Patrizia Cavazzoni, M.D., Director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said “Molnupiravir is limited to situations where other FDA-authorised treatments for COVID-19 are inaccessible or are not clinically appropriate, and will be a useful treatment option for some patients with COVID-19 at high risk of hospitalisation or death.”