India will soon authorise the first oral antiviral drug to treat Covid-19 — molnupiravir of Merck — made in the country for emergency use, according to senior government officials responsible for India’s Covid fight. Five Indian drugmakers, including Cipla, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Torrent Pharmaceuticals and Emcure Pharma, had early this year signed separate non-exclusive voluntary licensing agreements with the inventor Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) for manufacturing and marketing this drug locally. These companies had also partnered in the local trials of molnupiravir.