The antiviral molnupiravir, developed to stop the replication of the virus, is taken for five days four times a day
The drug, if it manages to obtain emergency clearance, will be the first treatment of its kind and a potential big step forward in the fight against the pandemic.
I study
Merck and partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics said preliminary results showed that patients who used molnupiravir within five days of symptom onset saw hospitalization and death rates cut in half, compared with those who received a placebo. The study followed 775 adult people with moderate to moderate symptoms who are considered to be at high risk of serious illness due to health problems such as obesity, diabetes or heart disease.
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The results
Of the patients who took molnupiravir, 7.3% were hospitalized or died within 30 days, compared with 14.1% of those who took placebo. In the first group there were no deaths in the same period, while in the other there were eight. “A 50% reduction in hospitalizations and deaths is a substantial clinical impact,” said Dean Li, Merck’s vice president of research.
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US government has pledged to purchase 1.7 million doses The pill works by interfering with an enzyme that the coronavirus uses to copy its genetic code and reproduce. The drug showed similar activity against other viruses. If authorized by the Food and Drug Administration, the US government has pledged to purchase 1.7 million doses of the drug. Merck said it could produce 10 million doses by the end of the year and have contracts with various governments.
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