Merck's COVID treatment expected to launch in China on Friday

Reuters
FILE PHOTO: A handout photo of an experimental COVID-19 treatment pill, called molnupiravir and being developed by Merck & Co Inc and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics LP

BEIJING (Reuters) - Merck & Co's COVID-19 antiviral treatment molnupiravir is expected to be launched in the Chinese market on Friday, Sinopharm's president Liu Yong was quoted as saying by state-backed media outlet Kankan News on Wednesday.

Merck said earlier in a filing that Sinopharm is the only legally authorized distributor of molnupiravir in China, which is sold under the brand name Lagevrio and was developed by Merck and partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics.

(Reporting by Ella Cao and Meg Shen; Editing by Mark Potter)