A new oral drug is said to reduce the risk of hospitalisation and death due to COVID-19 by 50%.
The new oral drug, called molnupiravir, was developed by pharma giant Merck and partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, and it aims to reduce the risk of hospitalisation and death for people who have been infected with the COVID-19 virus.
The drug is a ribonucleoside analogue, which can inhibit the replication of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Preliminary studies show that the drug significantly improves your chances of faring better if you catch the virus. In one study, 14% of patients in the placebo group were hospitalised or died, whereas among those taking the drug, only 7.3% had the same fate. That’s nearly a 50% reduction in the risk of hospitalisation or death.
Data from animal models also show that this new drug is effective as a prophylactic agent as well as for treatment and prevention of transmission, not only for the COVID-19 virus, but also for SARS-CoV-1 and MERS.
The new drug is an exciting development, experts say, as a regimen of pills is much easier to administer to patients than a jab. Also, the logistics involved in transporting millions of doses of pills is significantly less challenging that an intravenous vaccine needing refrigeration and special personnel to administer.
“With the virus continuing to circulate widely, and because therapeutic options currently available are infused and/or require access to a healthcare facility, antiviral treatments that can be taken at home to keep people with COVID-19 out of the hospital are critically needed,” said Wendy Holman, the chief executive officer of Ridgeback Biotherapeutics in a statement.
However, experts are cautious, as more data is needed to assess its safety and efficacy. “If this pans out, it will change the landscape,” said Andy Pavia, chief of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at University of Utah in a news release. “There’s still a lot we need to know. What does the side effect profile look like? Do we know how to dose it in populations that are different such as children and the obese? But as a top-line result, this is definitely exciting,” he said.
The new drug is not yet approved by the United States’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but it is currently under review and chances are it will get an emergency use authorization. If approved, molnupiravir would be the world’s first oral antiviral drug for patients with COVID-19.