TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan has procured at least 10,000 courses of a COVID pill billed as being capable of halving the chances of hospitalization or death.

Health Minister Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) said at a legislative interpellation Wednesday (Nov. 10) that a deal has been struck to produce the drug, which is the product of American pharmaceutical company Merck & Co and biotech firm Ridgeback Biotherapeutics. The deal involves at least 10,000 courses, he said, without giving details on the price or delivery time, wrote CNA.

Lauded as a potential game-changer in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, molnupiravir is the first oral antiviral to treat COVID. The medication is said to reduce the likelihood of patients with mild symptoms developing severe disease, and it can be taken at home, which would help relieve the burden on hospitals.

Chen noted molnupiravir will need to be granted emergency use authorization by the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration before it is rolled out.

On Nov. 4 U.K. became the first country to approve molnupiravir, with a trial expected to kick off later this month. The U.S. has secured 3.1 million courses of the pill at a cost of US$2.2 billion, reports Reuters.

Taiwan is also eying an oral COVID drug made by Pfizer, pending further assessments, Chen said. Pfizer claims the pill, called paxlovid, has been shown to reduce the risk of hospitalization or death by 89%.