FDA unlikely to rule on Merck’s COVID pill before December

By MATTHEW PERRONE
AP Health Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will ask its outside experts to review Merck’s pill to treat COVID-19 at a meeting in late November. Regulators announced the Nov. 30 meeting on Thursday. It’s a signal they will conduct a detailed review of the drug’s safety and effectiveness. It also means U.S. regulators almost certainly won’t issue a decision on the drug until December. An agency officials says the FDA decided to convene the meeting to help inform its decision-making. The November date will allow agency scientists to review the application ahead of the meeting. If authorized, Merck’s pill would be the first pill shown to successfully treat COVID-19.