Promising anti-viral from Merck might add to anti-Covid arsenal

This is encouraging. Currently in Phase III trial, the Merck anti-viral molnupiravir seems to be highly effective against Covid-19 especially if given early. It targets the virus' polymerase which is an enzyme needed for its replication. Given that this enzyme has nothing to do with variants (all variants have this same enzyme) and the medication doesn't target the ever-mutating S protein, this drug seems to be effective for all variants of the SARS-CoV-2.

The phase III trial is supposed to end at some point in November.

If this thing gets to show efficacy and safety in its phase III trial and gets FDA-approved, we may potentially have a game-changer. Fingers crossed (other attempts to find medications against Covid that can be taken by the mouth have failed in the past so we don't know yet, until phase III concludes; but it's looking good, so far).

 

Let's hope so, and it starts a trend of seeking effective treatments for those infected...even if you mandate vaccination by draconian law you'll STILL have those that are legitimately medically at risk from the vaccines.

 

This is why Merck came out against its own Ivermectin.

 

Well, this is not starting a trend as this trend has been started already, from the beginning... Several drugs have been already studied, trying to find an antiviral that works against the SARS-CoV-2. This is one of many; just, this one looks more promising. For example, lopinavir and ritonavir were studied by Oxford University for Covid-19... they didn't work. Remdesivir was also studied and did work, but to a very small degree and it needs to be given intravenously. Colchicine, azithromycin, hydroxychloroquine, ivermectin, were all studied as repurposed drugs... neither worked. Many others have been and are being studied. We'll get studying drugs against Covid, but it's nice to see that a promising one has reached phase III.

I'm not for mandates. If an effective treatment is found and is easily delivered by the mouth, then mandates are even less necessary.

 

Wow, preliminary readings for the phase III trial are in, and this looks like a winner.

https://www.merck.com/news/merck-an...to-placebo-for-patients-with-mild-or-moderat/

50% reduction in hospitalization rate as compared to placebo but also 100% of prevention of death as compared to placebo!

Small numbers but with a p = 0.0012, so very statistically significant, and this is a full Randomized Controlled Trial so the results are reliable.

Also, safety: fewer people interrupted treatment due to side effects in the molnupiravir group (1.3%) than in the placebo group!

The drug demonstrated consistent efficacy against the Delta, Gamma, and Mu variants.

The results were so good that the independent Data and Safety Monitoring Board recommended the end of the study, because the efficacy has been proven and there is no further point in denying the drug to the placebo takers.

Merck said they will apply for an FDA Emergency Use Authorization as soon as possible. Sure, the FDA may take a while analyzing the data, but I'm expecting that by the end of the year we'll have molnupiravir in the market.

The US government, impressed with the data, has purchased from Merck 1.7 million complete courses of molnupiravir. Merck said they will produce 10 million more courses by the end of the year.

Fantastic! This greatly enhances the fight against the SARS-CoV-2, especially given that it hits all variants, like I said, due to the medication targeting the polymerase rather than the S protein. So additional future mutations shouldn't impact on this drug's efficacy.

And wow, this is not just profits, folks. Merck has licensed the drug to generic makers in more than 100 low and middle income countries, in order to help with the global fight against the SARS-CoV-2. That is commendable!

 

I consider this to be major news, one of the best to ever surface since the beginning of the pandemic, and I'm surprised that more people are not talking about it here on PF.