Korea in talks with Merck to pre-purchase COVID-19 pills

This undated image provided by Merck shows its experimental COVID-19 pills. The pharmaceutical company said, Friday, that the oral treatment reduced hospitalization and deaths by half in people infected with the virus. AP-Yonhap

By Kim Rahn

Public health authorities here have said they are holding talks with Merck to pre-purchase its COVID-19 treatment pill, which the U.S. drugmaker said can reduce hospitalization and deaths by half.

News of the talks came a day after the pharmaceutical company announced that its experimental pill showed efficacy for people recently infected with the coronavirus, and that it would seek authorization for the use of the drug with health authorities in the U.S. and other countries.

“We've been notified by Merck of the early results of its clinical tests of the pill. We believe the results about reduced fatality rates and efficacy for variants are positive,” the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) told reporters, Saturday.

“But it goes against the principle to make public the details of such discussions. We'll make them public at an appropriate time, such as when the contract is completed, after agreeing on the time with the drug manufacturer.”

The government said in September that it is talking with multiple pharmaceutical companies to pre-purchase their oral coronavirus treatments, allocating 16.8 billion won ($14.1 million) of this year's budget and 19.4 billion won for next year to purchase drugs for 38,000 people.

The high price tag of the treatment, estimated at more than 900,000 won, has caused a stir. But health authorities have said that the government will cover all of the costs, as it currently shoulders all of the expenses of COVID-19 treatments, according to the law on infectious diseases.

On Friday (local time), Merck and its partner, Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, said that coronavirus patients who received their oral treatment called molnupiravir had about half the rate of hospitalization and deaths compared to a placebo group.

If the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves the use of the pill, it will be the first oral COVID-19 treatment in the world.

The drugmaker said that it can produce 10 million doses by the end of the year, and the U.S. government plans to purchase 1.7 million doses.