Molnupiravir, the new anti-viral COVID pill

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/covid-pill-reduces-hospitalisations-half-exciting-breakthrough/

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/revealed-home-cure-covid-could-available-year/

An antiviral pill cut the chances of Covid-19 patients being hospitalised by 50 per cent and dramatically reduced the risk of death in late-stage trials, raising hopes of a new weapon in the arsenal against the virus.

The pill, molnupiravir, was initially developed to tackle influenza but is also effective at reducing deaths and hospitalisations from Covid-19, the data from human trials showed.

Manufacturers Merck and Ridgeback Therapeutics will now seek emergency use authorisation in the United States as soon as possible, and submit their data to regulators worldwide.

A simple pill that can be taken at home to stop the disease in its tracks has been a key aim throughout the pandemic. Until now, remdesivir, another existing antiviral, was the only one licensed to treat Covid-19 - but it has to be administered intravenously and results have been modest.

Other antivirals are also in development, including some specifically targeted at Covid-19, such as a pill currently being tested by Pfizer.

Merck said it was “optimistic” that molnupiravir - which is named after Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir - could become an important medicine for the pandemic.

In the trial, 775 patients around the world - including in the UK - with at least one risk factor for severe illness began taking the drug within 5 days of the first onset of Covid-19 symptoms.

Among the placebo group, 14.1 per cent of the patients were hospitalised, 53 of 377 people, compared to 7.3 per cent, or 28 of 385 people, among those who took molnupiravir. Eight people died during the trial; none of them were in the group taking molnupiravir.

The trial was stopped early because of how effective the drug was proving. The data was released in a press release and has not yet been peer-reviewed. No severe side-effects were reported, and similar levels of adverse reactions were recorded among the placebo groups and those who took molnupiravir.


What's taking so long? Pfft. Wish they did this earlier so I didn't have to take the vax. Mind you they haven't been peer-reviewed yet but shows promise.