ROXAS City – This city was granted with a compassionate special permit (CSP) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the procurement of Molnupiravir, the first oral anti-viral drug clinically proven to reduce the risk of hospitalization or death due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
This made the city the first local government unit outside the National Capital Region (NCR) to secure such.
“(T)he Food and Drug Administration interposes no objection to the proposed importation of the Molnupiravir 200mg (milligram) capsule,” said FDA Director IV Center for Drug Regulation and Research, Jesusa Joyce Cirunay in a letter to city health officer, Dr. Lory Cahilog dated Nov. 26.
Yesterday, Mayor Ronnie Dadivas represented the city government-run Temporary Treatment and Management Facility (TTMF) in the signing of a memorandum of agreement with the supplier of the anti-COVID-19 oral drug.
“Pinaagi sini, aton mabuligan ang aton mga kasimanwa nga nagpositibo sa COVID nga malikawan ang pagka-ospital kag kamatayon,” said Dadivas.
It was not yet disclosed how many bottles of Molnupiravir the city government would procure.
As of Nov. 30, this city’s active COVID cases were 26. Of the 4,882 cumulative cases, 4,616 recovered while 180 died.
Molnupiravir was developed by the pharmaceutical companies Ridgeback Biotherapeutics and Merck, Sharp and Dohme. It was originally developed to treat flu.
Since it is an oral drug, it can be taken at home, whereas other treatments are taken intravenously or injected by a healthcare professional.
The United Kingdom was the first country to approve the use of the pill./PN