Govt to order 2 million molnupiravir pills

The cabinet has approved the Ministry of Public Health’s proposal to buy 50,000 courses, equal to 2 million pills, of molnupiravir, the world’s first oral medication for the treatment of Covid-19, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said yesterday.

Mr Anutin said the medication would be used as a reserve for drug security and to treat patients with Covid-19 symptoms in prioritised groups, including people over 60 and patients with any of seven underlying conditions — chronic respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, neurovascular disease, cancer, diabetes or obesity.

He said the anti-viral medication favipiravir would be given to patients in the early stage of Covid-19 with mild symptoms.

“A course of favipiravir costs 1,000 baht or more, if imported, while a course of molnupiravir costs about 10,000 baht. Doctors will decide how…