China Approves Merck’s Covid Pill Amid Shortage of Drugs

China approved Merck & Co.’s Covid-19 antiviral pill for emergency use as the country grapples with a massive wave of infections and a shortage of treatments.

The drug molnupiravir, marketed as Lagevrio, was granted conditional emergency approval for treating mild and moderate infections among adults at risk of progressing to severe disease, China’s National Medical Products Administration said Friday. It was the second foreign Covid pill cleared for use in China after Pfizer Inc.’s Paxlovid won approval early in 2022.