The American laboratory Merck estimated that this year it will obtain up to USD 6,000 million in sales of its pill against coronavirus (COVID-19), molnupiravir, according to a financial report published on Thursday.
The US pharmaceutical company said it generated $952 million from the sale of its oral COVID-19 pill in the fourth quarter of last year.
Merck announced the release of molnupiravir on October 1, saying it reduces hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19 by 30% in clinical trials of adults with high-risk factors.
The medicine was approved as a second at-home drug treatment for the virus by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on December 23, a day after Pfizer’s drug Paxlovid was given the green light.
Pharmaceutical Merck has delivered 1.4 million courses of molnupiravir after approval.
The company plans to deliver 3.1 million treatments in the United States in the coming months, in addition to supplying 4 million to 25 countries this year, said company CEO Rob Davis.
*Camilo Hernández contributed to the writing of this note.
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