Treatment against Covid-19: France has ordered 50,000 doses of “molnupiravir” produced by Merck – franceinfo

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This pill could dTo reduce by two the risks of hospitalization for patients who have just been tested positive for Covid-19, according to the pharmaceutical group.

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France has ordered 50,000 doses of the pill to treat Covid-19 developed by the American laboratory Merck, announced the Minister of Health Olivier Véran on Tuesday, October 26. An order that echoes the announcement of the European health authorities, who announced the day before that they were examining this treatment during an accelerated procedure. This treatment will be delivered “to France from the last days of November or the first days of December”, detailed the minister during a hearing in the Senate.

In early October, the Merck laboratory reported very encouraging results for this antiviral. According to the American laboratory, which has carried out tests on nearly 800 patients but has yet to make the details public, “molnupiravir” halves the risk of hospitalization when it is given to patients who have just been tested positively. at Covid-19.

As for the cost of treatment, it will be high a priori. Olivier Véran did not specify the amount of the order, but by way of example, the United States ordered 1.7 million doses for $ 1.2 billion this year, or about $ 700 for each.