FILE PHOTO: A view of the Merck & Co. campus in Linden, New Jersey March 9, 2009. REUTERS/Jeff Zelevansky
TOKYO 鈥� A听闯补辫补苍ese听丑别补濒迟丑听ministry听辫补苍别濒听on Friday recommended approval of the听颁翱痴滨顿鈥�19听antiviral pill developed by Merck & Co Inc, part of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida鈥檚 plan to roll out new听迟谤别补迟尘别苍迟s by year-end as concerns rise about the Omicron variant.
The听辫补苍别濒鈥榮 decision sets the stage for shipments of 200,000 doses across the country from this weekend, based on preparations announced earlier by Kishida.
鈥淚鈥檓 convinced the distribution of this drug is a major step forward for our nation鈥檚听颁翱痴滨顿鈥�19听丑补苍诲濒颈苍驳,鈥�听丑别补濒迟丑听minister Shigeyuki Goto told reporters after the decision, adding that some medical institutions and pharmacies will start receiving the pill as soon as next Monday.
闯补辫补苍听is betting heavily on听辞谤补濒听treatments to keep serious infections and deaths at bay should a feared sixth wave of the pandemic emerge. The government agreed last month to pay Merck and its partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics about $1.2 billion for 1.6 million courses of their drug molnupiravir.
In addition, Kishida announced last week a deal to procure 2 million doses of a separate antiviral pill developed by Pfizer Inc. And听闯补辫补苍鈥榮 Shionogi & Co is expected to soon file for approval of its own听迟谤别补迟尘别苍迟, supplying another 1 million doses by early next year.
U.S. regulators on Thursday authorized the Merck pill for certain high-risk adult patients.
Countries rushed to buy听惭别谤肠办鈥檚听molnupiravir after very promising initial results, but subsequent company data in late November indicated the drug was markedly less effective than previously thought. France canceled its order on Wednesday.
Asked about the debate over its efficacy, Goto said on Friday the听闯补辫补苍ese听辫补苍别濒听evaluated the use of molnupiravir based mainly on the earlier test result while adding the updated result 鈥渄oes not negate this drug鈥檚 effectiveness.鈥�
闯补辫补苍听this week confirmed the first known cases of Omicron infections that could not be traced back to overseas travelers. Community transmissions of the variant have now been found in the western cities of Osaka and Kyoto, and a suspected case was announced in Tokyo on Friday.