Pfizer said its experimental COVID pill reduces the risk of hospitalization or death by 89%.

A new antiviral coronavirus treatment pill is close to being made available to patients. The pill works to reduce the progression of severe symptoms and hospitalizations.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will ask its outside experts to review Merck's pill to treat COVID-19 at a meeting in late November.

Drugmaker Merck asked U.S. regulators Monday to authorize its pill for treating COVID-19 in what would add an entirely new and easy-to-use weapon to the world’s arsenal against the pandemic.