U.S. to buy 1.4 mln more courses of Merck's COVID-19 pill

Nov 9 (Reuters) - Merck & Co Inc and partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics said on Tuesday the U.S. government would buy an additional 1.4 million courses of their COVID-19 pill, molnupiravir.

The U.S. government in June agreed to spend $1.2 billion for 1.7 million courses.

The government is now exercising options to buy the extra doses, valuing the contract at $2.2 billion for a total of 3.1 million courses, the companies said.

The U.S. government also has options to purchase more than 2 million additional courses under the contract, they added.