Malaysia is in talks to procure an experimental antiviral pill developed by Merck & Co for Covid-19 treatment, the health minister said.

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said in a tweet that he has started negotiations to procure the new drugs, referring to a Reuters story that the pill developed by Merck could halve the chances of dying or being hospitalised for those most at risk of contracting severe Covid-19.

“As we transition to living with Covid, we will be adding new, innovative treatment options to our arsenal in addition to vaccines,” he said.

The pill molnupiravir, designed to introduce errors into the genetic code of the virus, would be the first oral antiviral medication for Covid-19.