The government of Malaysia has recently signed an agreement of purchase for the antiviral drug Molnupiravir, developed by Merck Sharp & Dohme, as informed by Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

Through the agreement, the government will receive 150,000 complete treatment packages (patient courses) to treat Covid-19 patients.

In regards to the matter, Khairy  explained, "This decision was made in preparation for us to begin the transition to the endemic phase of living with the Covid-19 virus by adding new innovative treatment options as a ‘weapon’ to fight Covid-19, in addition to the use of vaccines and other public health measures."

A study conducted by Merck Sharp & Dohme reveals that this particular drug was able to reduce ward admission rate by 50% and was also proven effective on other more aggressive variants of the Covid-19 virus such as Gamma, Delta, and Mu. "However, it does not mean that the vaccine is no longer needed because the function of the vaccine is to reduce infection and prevent from getting more severe infection,” Khairy elaborated. 

Let's hope this new medical initiative will help curb the pandemic.