UK signs contracts to buy further 4.25 million antivirals courses

LONDON - Britain has signed contracts to buy a further 4.25 million courses of antivirals for its health service to help combat the new Omicron variant of coronavirus, it said on Wednesday.

Antivirals are treatments used to either treat those who are infected with a virus or sometimes protect exposed individuals from becoming infected.

The government said the two new contracts are for 1.75 million courses of Merck Sharp and Dohme’s (MSD) molnupiravir and 2.5 million additional courses of PF-07321332/ritonavir from Pfizer which will be available from early next year.