The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.----------Drugmaker Merck unit seeks approval of 1st oral COVID drug in JapanTOKYO - The Japanese arm of U.S. pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. said Friday it has applied for state approval for the production and sale of an oral COVID-19 drug, which if granted could be the first such pill to be used in Japan.MSD K.K. said in a press release it is seeking the green light from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare under a fast-track process for the Merck-developed molnupiravir, which prevents the virus from entering …READ FULL ARTICLE