Official: US to spend $3B for antiviral pills for COVID-19
FILE - In this May 11, 2021, file photo, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, speaks during hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. Fauci has been a lightning rod since the early days of the pandemic, when he was lionized by the left as a beacon of truth and villainized by the right as a misguided, spotlight-seeking bureaucrat who too often sought to undermine then-President Donald Trump. But since the release of a trove of his emails obtained by news outlets, Republicans have sharply escalated their attacks on the nation's top government infectious diseases expert. (Jim Lo Scalzo/Pool Photo via AP, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is devoting more than $3 billion to advance development of antiviral pills for COVID-19, according to an official briefed on the matter.
The pills, which would be used to minimize symptoms after infection, are in development and could begin arriving by year’s end, pending the completion of clinical trials.
The White House is scheduled to hold a briefing on its COVID-19 plans with Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert.
News of the administration’s plans for the pill was first reported Thursday by The New York Times. The official who confirmed the report spoke on the condition of anonymity ahead of an announcement.