The Advisory Council for the Registration of Drugs and Medicinal Ingredients Circulation under the Ministry of Health (MoH) has just agreed to a proposal to grant licenses for conditional circulation of three indigenous drugs containing molnupiravir to treat Covid-19 patients.

The MoH said that the council made the decision after making thorough and careful consideration of opinions from specialized units and experts.

Molnupiravir drugs. Photo: MoH

The council requested manufacturers to examine material quality before production, strictly monitor the drug quality on a monthly basis and send reports to relevant authorities.

In terms of the authorization for Covid-19 drug circulation, the MoH asked regulators and specialized agencies to strictly control quality and prices in line with the Law on Pharmacy and to fight against group interest in medicine supply.

Molnupiravir has been used globally to treat mild and asymptomatic Covid-19 patients.

The medication has proved to be safe and effective in reducing the risk of hospitalization and death among mild to moderate patients who are at increased risk of developing severe symptoms.

Besides, molnupiravir has obvious effectiveness in reducing viral load, virus spread and the number of severe cases, as well as shortening treatment time, with no fatalities recorded.

Vietnam has been trialing the use of a molnupiravir drug made by the US-based pharmaceutical companies Ridgeback Biotherapeutics and Merck & Co to treat Covid-19 patients with mild symptoms since last year. It is distributed for free under special supervision.

Since mid August, the MoH has implemented a pilot plan to administer molnupiravir to mild and asymptomatic cases at home.

The plan was first carried out in Ho Chi Minh City and has so far been replicated in 51 other cities and provinces, with 300,000 doses provided. However, the MoH has yet to issue a license for the drug commercial use till now.