Asian Tech Press (Nov 10) -- The Japanese government will reportedly spend nearly $1.2 billion for 1.6 million courses of Merck's COVID-19 pill.

Reuters reported that the US drug company Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. (MSD) and its partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics LP said on Wednesday that the Japanese government would pay nearly $1.2 billion for 1.6 million courses of molnupiravir, a new oral antiviral medicine for COVID-19 it is co-developing, if it is approved.

MSD expects to produce 10 million courses of molnupiravir by the end of 2021 and at least 20 million courses in 2022.

The report also mentioned that the U.S. government has pledged on Tuesday to buy an additional $1 billion worth of molnupiravir.