Merck says it has first effective antiviral pill against Covid-19 pandemic

Drug cuts hospitalisation, deaths by 50%, shows an analysis of a late-stage trial

Merck & Co’s Covid-19 antiviral pill molnupiravir reduced the risk of hospitalisation or death by 50 per cent in an interim analysis of a late-stage trial, findings that could give doctors another potent virus-fighting tool.
 
The company is halting the study and will seek an emergency-use authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration as quickly as possible, Chief Executive Officer Rob Davis said in an interview. Merck also plans to submit applications to regulators in other countries.  “We couldn’t be more thrilled with the results,” Davis said. “You don’t have to go to the hospital, you don’t have to go to a center to have it infused. It’s a pill you can take at home.”
 
Merck detailed the study analysis in a statement on Friday.
 
The shares jumped more than 4 per cent in trading before markets opened in New York.  The continuing phase 3 trial had been expected to conclude in November. The decision to stop the research was made at the recommendation of an independent committee and in collaboration with the FDA, Davis said.  Molnupiravir is being developed by Merck in collaboration with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics LP for use in nonhospitalized Covid-19 patients who have had symptoms for five or fewer days and are at risk for a severe infection.
 
If authorised, molnupiravir could become an important new tool for the treatment of Covid-19. While drugs known as monoclonal antibodies are available to stave off more severe infections, they can be difficult to administer, and demand for them has surged during the recent spike in virus cases fueled by the Delta variant.
 
Adding molnupiravir would give doctors a much simpler option to treat sick patients that could keep them from filling strained hospitals. Delta’s rise has taxed health systems across the country, especially in areas where vaccination rates are lower than average.      

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