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In December 2019, the COVID-19 virus was first detected in Wuhan, China, from where it rapidly spread around the world and became a pandemic. Over 5.2 million deaths have been attributed to the virus. Now, a pill is expected to affect the course of the disease and alleviate symptoms.
Vaccinations against Corona
Since the beginning of 2020, thanks to vaccination against the virus by Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna and Co. infection rates have steadily fallen. However, the vaccination is still controversial, with many vaccination opponents refusing to be vaccinated due to various conspiracy theories.
Variants of the virus
New variants of the virus are emerging all the time. The latest, Omicron, was discovered in South Africa and is even more contagious than many variants before it. Currently, several measures are being taken in many countries to stop this mutation.
Molnupiravir, the coronapill
Merck & Co.’s coronapill, molnupiravir, is designed to improve disease progression and reduce the risks of hospitalization or death. The pill reduces the ability of the coronavirus to replicate in the body’s cells and is thought to protect against severe disease progression. The drug was originally intended to be an influenza medicine.
Merck & Co.
Merck & Co, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD), is a U.S. pharmaceutical company based in New Jersey; it was originally a subsidiary of the old German pharmaceutical company E. Merck, based in Darmstadt. MSD is one of the largest pharmaceutical manufacturers in the world.
Reduced risk according to study
Studies from October 2021 by the group, also aimed at determining the drug’s safety and tolerability, demonstrated a 50% effectiveness in not being hospitalized or even dying after taking the drug. The relative risk of hospitalization or death could still be halved with administration of the pill.
Molnupiravir vs. placebo
While only 28 of 385 patients (7.3%) who received molnupiravir were hospitalized or died, 53 of 377 (14.1%) of patients who received the placebo were.
Current studies
This phase of the study tested nonhospitalized adults with mild-to-moderate symptoms and at risk for severe disease progression. Placebo and molnupiravir were again administered.
Phase III Move-Out Study
From the current study, it emerged that after evaluating all participants, this efficacy is now only 30%. The data are still positive, but slightly worse than the interim results from October. In the study, the risk of hospitalization or death among 1400 participants was 9.7% in the placebo group (68/699) and 6.8% (48/709) in the molnupiravir group. There were nine deaths in the placebo group and one in the group receiving molnupiravir.
Approval in the United Kingdom
In early November, the United Kingdom became the first country to approve the antiviral for the treatment of corona infection, marketed there as Lagevrio.
FDA in the USA
A panel of experts from the FDA, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, favored approval of the drug. After hours of deliberation, the panel came out in favor of emergency approval. The agency must now decide whether to grant final approval for it.
Ease of use of the drug
A major advantage of the pill is that it can be taken at home. The most effective use of molnupiravir is at the beginning of the infection. Therefore, the MHRA recommends taking the drug as soon as a positive COVID-19 test is available and within 5 days of the onset of the first symptoms. The dose is 800 mg; that is four 200 mg capsules.
Side effects
Strong interactions with other medications are not known. Some side effects, such as diarrhea, nausea, dizziness, and headache, may occur, but have occurred only to a minor extent so far. The capsules can be taken without or with meals.
Remdesivir
The only antiviral drug approved in the EU since July 2020 is Remdesivir (trade name Veklury). However, the drug from the US company Gilead is only administered intravenously to certain and severely ill corona patients.
Other possible corona drugs
In addition to molnupiravir, seven other agents are currently under review by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for use in corona infection. For example, applications for approval have been submitted by the Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche and the U.S. manufacturer Regeneron. So there is nothing left to do but wait for the results.
- source: thedailydigest.com/picture: pixabay.com
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