Billionaire Ken Fisher’s Top 5 Dividend Stock Picks

3. Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK)

Fisher Asset Management’s Stake Value: $3,180,020,742

Reuters reported on June 1 that Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) is holding discussions with global health authorities about making its COVID-19 antiviral pill, molnupiravir, available as a treatment option for Ebola. The move came amid a growing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to a senior company executive. The outbreak has affected an estimated 1,100 people. It has also led to 42 deaths. It involves the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, a rare variant for which no approved vaccines or treatments currently exist.

Molnupiravir was developed by the New Jersey-based pharmaceutical company in partnership with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics and is marketed under the brand name Lagevrio. The drug received emergency authorization from the Food and Drug Administration during the COVID-19 pandemic for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adults considered at high risk of developing severe illness.

While molnupiravir is not approved for the treatment of Ebola, animal studies have demonstrated some effectiveness against the virus. The drug could potentially help prevent Ebola infections among individuals at elevated risk of exposure. Its use is not recommended during pregnancy.

Merck also manufactures Ervebo, an Ebola vaccine approved for protection against the more common Zaire Ebola virus. Barr said the technology behind Ervebo could prove useful in the development of a new vaccine targeting the Bundibugyo strain.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) is a global healthcare company that provides prescription medicines, including biologic therapies and vaccines, as well as animal health products.