Countries rush to buy experimental antiviral COVID-19 pills

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Dec. 23 authorised Merck's antiviral COVID-19 pill for high-risk adult patients, a day after giving a broader go-ahead to a similar but more effective treatment from Pfizer.
Governments around the world are scrambling to buy Paxlovid, the pill developed by Pfizer, while Merck's Molnupiravir has faced setbacks after disappointing trial data, as France in December became the first country to say it had cancelled its order for the drug.
Britain on Dec. 31 approved Pfizer's treatment for adults with mild to moderate infections. South Korea authorised it for emergency use earlier the same week. On Sunday, Israel became the latest country to approve Merck's pill, following late December approvals in Japan and India.
The treatment has also been approved in Britain, Denmark and the Philippines, among others. In the European Union, both treatments are under review by the European Medicines Agency, though the regulator has said they can be used in adults ahead of any wider recommendation.