Merck lowered the effectiveness of its pill to treat COVID-19 by up to 30% | Health | Magazine

For the moment it has confirmed that the use of the antiviral reduces the risk of being hospitalized and dying.

EFE

November 26, 2021 – 20h20

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The American pharmaceutical company Merck lowered this Friday the effectiveness of its oral drug to treat COVID-19 in adult patients, which it previously claimed was 50% and now indicates that it is only 30%.

In a report released today by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Merck reported that final analyzes point to a 30% pill effectiveness, significantly below what the company itself had said in October.

The drug Lagevrio (molnupiravir), is still being studied by the FDA for its potential approval, which for now has confirmed that the use of the antiviral reduces the risk of being hospitalized and dying.

Merck Laboratory will request authorization of a drug that would reduce hospitalizations and deaths from coronavirus

In October, Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, which developed the drug, applied for an authorization for emergency use from the US health authorities and requested marketing permits from other regulatory agencies around the world.

The drug, available in capsules, must be taken twice a day for 5 days, by adults with COVID-19 who do not require supplemental oxygen and who are patients at risk of developing the disease in its serious condition.

For its part, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) began on Tuesday to evaluate the application for a marketing license in the European Union (EU) for molnupiravir.

Authorization for a pill against Covid-19, asks pharmaceutical Merck in the United States

The European regulator said it will “assess the benefits and risks” of Lagevrio “in a short time” and could issue an opinion on the license in “a few weeks” if the data submitted by the pharmaceutical companies is sufficiently robust and complete to demonstrate efficacy. , safety and quality of the drug.

The conclusion of the EMA will be reached in a shorter time because the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has already advanced work in recent weeks, during the continuous evaluation of the drug, evaluating the data of the medicine as it became available. and shared by developers. (I)

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