Whether the US company Merck (MSD)’s oral COVID-19 treatment Lagevrio (molnupiravir) will settle in Korea as an alternative to Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir, ritonavir) is gaining attention.

The company had applied for the emergency use authorization of molnupiravir to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in November last year but has not been granted EUA as of yet.

On the reason for the delay, some had evaluated that the delay was due to the lower efficacy of Lagevrio, whose rate of preventing hospitalization and deaths is 30% as compared to the 88% demonstrated by Paxlovid.

The MFDS had announced that it will decide upon Lagevrio’s EUA by 24th at the latest.

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