Belgium in talks to buy 10,000 doses of Merck's COVID-19 pill, health minister says

Belgium is in talks with U.S.-based Merck & Co Inc to buy 10,000 doses of its COVID-19 antiviral pill jointly developed with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, the country's federal health minister said on Wednesday.

"But we are in favour of a European joint procurement," health minister Franck Vandenbroucke told a news conference, adding that the Belgian bilateral talks would be integrated in the European Union joint procurement if and when it is launched.