英批准首款抗新冠口服药

The first pill designed to treat symptomatic Covid-19 has been approved by the UK medicines regulator.

英国药品监管机构批准了首款用于治疗症状性新冠肺炎的药物。

The tablet - molnupiravir - will be given twice a day to vulnerable patients recently diagnosed with the disease.

近期确诊新冠肺炎的虚弱患者将每天服用两次莫那比拉韦。

In clinical trials, the pill, originally developed to treat flu, cut the risk of hospitalization or death by about half.

在临床试验中，该药物将因感染新冠病毒住院或死亡的风险降低了一半左右。该药物原本用于治疗流感。

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the treatment was a "gamechanger" for the most frail and immuno-suppressed.

英国卫生大臣赛义德•贾维德称，这种药物对身体虚弱和免疫功能不全的人来说意义重大。

Molnupiravir, developed by the US drug companies Merck, Sharp and Dohme (MSD) and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, is the first antiviral medication for Covid-19, which can be taken as a pill rather than injected or given intravenously.

莫那比拉韦由美国制药公司默克和Ridgeback生物治疗公司研发，是第一款抗新冠口服药，而非静脉注射类药物。

The UK has agreed to purchase 480,000 courses, with the first deliveries expected in November.

英国政府已批准订购48万个疗程，首批药物预计于11月交付。

The drug needs to be given within five days of symptoms developing to be most effective.

该药物需在出现症状五天内服用才能发挥最大疗效。