8 March 2021

Moderna announced that the company will be providing 13 million doses of its Covid-19 vaccine to the Philippines. According to the terms of the supply agreement, delivery of the vaccines is expected to begin in mid-2021. The company’s vaccine is currently not approved for use in the Philippines, while the company is working with regulators to get the necessary approvals before distribution.

Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics announced preliminary findings from the latter’s Phase IIa trial of molnupiravir, an oral antiviral agent to tackle SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes Covid-19. The study found a reduction in days to negativity of infectious virus isolation in nasal swabs in symptomatic participants. Primary efficacy, endpoint safety, and other secondary findings will be presented in an upcoming medical meeting.

Eli Lilly and Company announced that the European Medicines Agency (EMA)’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has recommended  Bamlanivimab alone and Bamlanivimab taken together with Etesevimab. The CHMP advises that both forms of monoclonal antibody treatment can be used for confirmed Covid-19 patients aged 12 or older who do not require supplemental oxygen and who are at high risk of developing severe forms of the disease.