Merck asks FDA for emergency authorization for treatment pill

The US pharmaceutical company Merck has requested emergency authorization for its pill to treat less serious cases of the coronavirus. Molnupiravir is an experimental pill to treat mild-to-moderate cases of the coronavirus, and according to Merck, is shown to reduce hospitalization due to the coronavirus by 50% in early trials. Merck made the request to the US Food and Drug Administration on Monday. Merck said it would submit applications for emergency use or marketing authorization to regulatory agencies around the world. Merck says it plans to produce 10 million courses of the treatment by the end of 2021.