Merck to seek emergency authorization for oral Covid treatment after ‘compelling results’ in trials

PUBLISHED FRI, OCT 1 20216:01 AM EDTUPDATED 15 MIN AGO

Chloe Taylor

A phase 3 trial of Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics’ oral antiviral treatment molnupiravir showed it reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by around 50% in Covid patients.

Merck plans to seek emergency use authorization in the U.S. and submit marketing applications to other global drug regulators.

If authorized by regulatory bodies, molnupiravir could be the first oral antiviral medicine for Covid.

Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics plan to seek emergency authorization for their oral antiviral treatment for Covid, after the medicine showed “compelling results” in clinical trials.

The drug, molnupiravir, reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by around 50% for patients with mild or moderate cases of Covid, the companies announced Friday. Molnupiravir is administered orally and works by inhibiting the replication of the coronavirus inside the body.

An interim analysis of a phase 3 study found that 7.3% of patients treated with molnupiravir were hospitalized within 29 days. Of the patients who received a placebo, 14.1% were hospitalized or died by day 29. No deaths were reported in patients who were given molnupiravir within the 29-day period, while eight deaths were reported in placebo-treated patients.

All 775 trial participants had laboratory-confirmed symptomatic Covid-19 and were randomly given molnupiravir or a placebo within five days of symptoms.

Every participant was unvaccinated and had at least one underlying factor that put them at greater risk of developing a more severe case of the virus. The most common risk factors included obesity, being over age 60 and having diabetes or heart disease.

Merck CEO Davis provides update on highly anticipated Covid-19 pill

The phase 3 part of the trial was conducted at more than 170 sites, in countries including the U.S., Brazil, Italy, Japan, South Africa, Taiwan and Guatemala.

Molnupiravir’s efficacy was not affected by the timing of symptom onset or patients’ underlying risk factors, the study showed. It also proved to be consistently effective in treating all variants of Covid, including the widely dominant and highly transmissible delta strain.

Adverse events were comparable in the molnupiravir and placebo groups, with around 10% reporting adverse events. Just 1.3% of the molnupiravir group discontinued therapy due to an adverse event — less than the 3.4% of the placebo group who did so.

Recruitment into the study is being stopped early due to the positive results, at the recommendation of an independent Data Monitoring Committee and in consultation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Merck is also testing molnupiravir in a separate global phase 3 study to evaluate its efficacy in preventing the spread of Covid within households.

‘Profound impact’

Robert M. Davis, CEO and president of Merck, said in a press release Friday that the company would do everything it can to bring molnupiravir to patients as quickly as possible.

“With these compelling results, we are optimistic that molnupiravir can become an important medicine as part of the global efforts to fight the pandemic,” he said.

Ridgeback Biotherapeutics CEO Wendy Holman added: “With the virus continuing to circulate widely, and because therapeutic options currently available are infused 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.”

“We are very encouraged by the results from the interim analysis and hope molnupiravir, if authorized for use, can make a profound impact in controlling the pandemic,” she said.

Emergency use authorization

Merck said Friday it plans to seek emergency use authorization for the drug in the U.S. as soon as possible. The company also plans to submit marketing applications to other international drug regulators.

If authorized by regulatory bodies, molnupiravir could be the first oral antiviral medicine for Covid. Antiviral treatments now in use, such as remdesivir, are administered intravenously.

Merck has already begun producing molnupiravir. The pharmaceutical giant expects to produce 10 million courses of treatment by the end of 2021, and more doses in 2022.

The company agreed earlier this year to supply the U.S. with around 1.7 million courses of molnupiravir if it receives emergency use authorization or full approval from the FDA.

Merck has also entered supply and purchase agreements for the drug with other governments — pending regulatory authorization — and is in discussions with other governments about the supply of molnupiravir.

The company said it plans to implement a tiered pricing approach based on World Bank country income criteria to ensure molnupiravir can be accessed globally. Merck previously announced that it had entered into nonexclusive voluntary licensing agreements for molnupiravir with generic manufacturers, a move intended to assist low and middle-income countries in gaining access to the treatment. Those agreements are also pending approvals or emergency authorization by local regulators.

Profit share
Ridgeback received an upfront payment from Merck as part of the companies’ development of molnupiravir. The company is also eligible to receive contingent payments depending on developmental and regulatory approval milestones.

Profits arising from the collaboration will be split between Merck and Ridgeback equally.

Ivermectin?

A conspiracy-minded person might think that Ivermectin, Hydroxychloroquine, etc. were being poo-pahed so that Big Pharma could come up with an expensive treatment for covid.

A conspiracy-minded person might think that Ivermectin, Hydroxychloroquine, etc. were being poo-pahed so that Big Pharma could come up with an expensive treatment for covid.

I predict it'll be a failure because someone will discover that it contains satanic compounds.

A conspiracy-minded person might think that Ivermectin, Hydroxychloroquine, etc. were being poo-pahed so that Big Pharma could come up with an expensive treatment for covid.

Sooner or later antiviral treatments will be what ends the pandemic; not experimental immunity enhancements.




https://www.cnbc.com/2021/10/01/mer...ization-for-oral-covid-19-treatment.html

Which appears less effective than vitamin B or Ivermectin........

Maybe it’s about the money, after all?

Seems like similar results to Budesonide???

X2

Compare here.
https://c19early.com/
Note Ivermectin at $1.

The drug, molnupiravir, reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by around 50% for patients with mild or moderate cases of Covid, the companies announced Friday.

I'd likely be dead if it were not for modern medical advacnes.

Most of my family would likely be sick if not for eating properly,taking supplements,exercising regularly,drinking pure water and getting plenty of fresh air and sunshine.

All that + not hiding from people! I have an immune system because I am regularly exposed to lots of people...and germs

Ivermectin acts by interfering with the nerve and muscle functions of helminths and insects. The drug binds to glutamate-gated chloride channels common to invertebrate nerve and muscle cells.

I won’t take until it gets approved by the Campfire Amateur Armchair Online Medical Research Foundation.

So I understand Molnupiravir works as a synthetic nucleoside derivative N4-hydroxycytidine, and exerts its antiviral action through introduction of copying errors during viral RNA replication. So it is not related to Ivermectin. Ivermectin acts by interfering with the nerve and muscle functions of helminths and insects. The drug binds to glutamate-gated chloride channels common to invertebrate nerve and muscle cells. It was not invented my Merck, but discovered in 1975 by William Campbell and Satoshi Ōmura. It was first marketed as a veternarian antiparasitic by Merck in 1981.

In order for Molnupiravir to work, it must be taken before the onset of serious symptoms. What I'm curious about is whether those who refuse vaccines would be willing to take Molnupiravir as soon as they test positive, before their Covid symptoms become serious. I suspect a lot of people who refuse vaccines would also generally downplay or deny the seriousness of Covid and they will either recover after only minor illness or they will get very sick and it will be too late or Molnupiravir to have any effect.

It seems the potential market size for Molnupiravir will be primarily among people that are likely vaccinated that subsequently get Covid or Influenza and can then get access to Molnupiravir to prevent serious illness. If the vaccines (both covid and flu) limit the chances of serious illness, the application for Molnupiravir may appear to be limited, but since it is taken before the seriousness of the illness can be gauged, the potential market size could be as big as all break-through infections.

What do you think? If you've refused vaccines, would you take Molnupiravir at the first minor symptoms of covid or flu?

Ivermectin has broad antiviral activity by apparently blocking nuclear import. Wife used to work for a lady scientist studying importin at Harvard.

I was certain that Merck was the original producer of Ivermectin...........


I was right after a quick WIKI search.




I find it interesting that the company that brought us ivermectin is now bringing us an antiviral to fight covid.


Too bad that ivermectin is useless against covid 19 and probably there was no data available to Merck for coming up with an antiviral..............


Oh well.

A conspiracy-minded person might think that Ivermectin, Hydroxychloroquine, etc. were being poo-pahed so that Big Pharma could come up with an expensive treatment for covid.

But the new stuff, probably has a similar mode of action, and it’s only 700 times more expensive than ivermectin.

It usually is. I would say it always is, but a college professor I had taught me to always avoid the use of the words "always" or "never".

Interesting timing on this announcement. The stock market futures were significantly lower early this morning to continue the big decline from yesterday. When this was announced at 6 AM the stock market futures abruptly turned around and now are showing solid gains. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a continued drop in the market later this afternoon.