By Cecilia Butini

Germany's Merck KGaA said Wednesday that the European Commission asked the company to be ready to supply one of its medicines to European member states as a potential treatment for Covid-19 if and when its effectiveness is cleared for such cases.

The drug, whose commercial name is Rebif, is generally used to treat relapsing multiple sclerosis. Clinical trials are still underway to determine whether it can be used to treat Covid-19 infections, Merck said.

The German health-care and life-sciences company said that Rebif doesn't have regulatory approval as an antiviral agent nor for the treatment of Covid-19 infections.

It was previously reported by Reuters that Merck and Roche Holding AG had closed a deal with the European Commission to supply experimental Covid-19 drugs to European member states upon request.

Roche didn't responded to a request for comment.

Separately, Merck said it has donated 290,000 units of Rebif to the World Health Organization for use in a trial. 



  Write to Cecilia Butini at cecilia.butini@wsj.com