The police said on Monday that counterfeit anti-coronavirus “green passes” began to spread in Italy a few days after their launch, adding that they had disrupted a network that sold false evidence for vaccination, rehabilitation or testing.
The two companies said on Tuesday that the US government will purchase another $1 billion worth of Covid-19 pills produced by Merck and its partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics.
The government agreed in June to purchase 1.7 million treatment courses of monupiravir for US$1.2 billion, and is now exercising its option to purchase another 1.4 million.
This brings the total number of safety courses to 3.1 million, valued at $2.2 billion. Merck said that as part of the contract, the government has the right to purchase another 2 million courses.
Read | FDA may approve the first Covid pill before the end of the year
Data since last month showed that if the drug is given early in the disease, it can halve the chance of death or hospitalization for those who are most likely to develop severe Covid-19.
Merck’s application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will be accepted by an independent expert panel on November 30, and the regulatory agency is expected to make a decision after that.
Some countries have been eager to sign an agreement with Merck for the drug, which may become the first oral antiviral treatment for COVID-19. The United Kingdom became the first country in the world to approve the use of capsules last week.
Merck expects to produce 10 million treatment courses by the end of this year, and at least 20 million treatment courses in 2022.
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