The Department of Health (DOH) is monitoring the progress on the clinical trial of an oral drug which news reports said can reduce the COVID-19 patients' risk of hospitalization or death by 50 percent.

"Well, this medicine (Molnupiravir) is still in the trial stages. So, we are waiting for them to complete this, and officially publish their results and of course to have clearance from our regulatory agency, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), for us to be able to use is here in our country. We will monitor this," Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, DOH spokesperson, in the ''Laging Handa'' public briefing on Saturday.

Vergeire said countries can adopt the medicine once the clinical trial is completed and it will become available.

"We do not have a local trial that is happening here yet, but with all of this revolving evidence, once it’s complete and released even in other countries, we also use it. We adopt," she said.

"Although, we have processed our living clinical practice guidelines where we have experts who regularly study the investigational drugs in the market or that are being studied thru clinical trials so that once it is already approved we are ready and we can already negotiate for this kind of drugs," she added. Robina Asido/DMS