Oral antiviral drug molnupiravir has major safety concerns and thus is not included in the national treatment protocol for Covid-19, said Dr Balram Bhargava, chief of Indian Council of Medical Research. “This drug, which causes teratogenicity, mutagenicity and more seriously cartilage and muscle damage, was not included for treatment by WHO as well,” he said while talking at a press conference. Molnupiravir, developed by US drugmaker Merck & Co, has been launched by Indian generic drug makers through licensing deals with the inventor in India recently.