Merck’s COVID-19 Pill Isn’t Quite As Effective As Initially Reported

Read Time:2 Minute, 7 Second

Pharmacy companies of Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics have published an update about molnupiravir, a pill formulated to help treat Covid-19 by reducing the risk of being treated in hospitals or dying due to the disease. According to the latest details from the company, Molnupiravir is not as effective as the temporary analysis found before.

Merck and Ridgeback published an update in the Molnupaivir Move-out study on Friday, noting that now has data from all participants registered in this study. Based on the data, the company said that their oral antivirus drugs offer relative risk reduction of 30 percent in COVID-19 patients, a decrease from 48 percent previously stated.

Likewise, the update revealed that Molnupiravir interrupted the risk of inpatient and death among COVID-19 participants to 6.8 percent compared to 9.7 percent in the placebo group. These figures are compared with 7.3 percent and 14.1 percent reported with a temporary analysis.

This update is a disappointing news that arrives right in front of the planned FDA Advisory Committee review of the drug, its effectiveness, and safety profile. Assuming the committee supports the drug, then it will depend on the FDA to decide whether to provide authorization of emergency use (EUA) for the treatment of oral antivirus.

The FDA advisory panel will meet tomorrow, November 30, to determine whether they will give their recommendations to EUA. Like the Covid-19 vaccine, booster shot, and other products provided with emergency authorization throughout Pandemic, experts will see whether there are known risks associated with drugs will be greater than potential benefits, product safety, and how effective it is to reduce severe Covid-19 results.

Pharmacy companies have submitted a request with the FDA for emergency authorization in October. Molnupiravir is intended for adults who have mild or moderate and medium covid-19 and those who are determined to be high at high risk. Treatment, if receiving emergency authorization, will be the first oral treatment option for Covid-19, joining monoclonal antibodies, which are also used in high-risk patients.

Apart from the revised effectiveness, experts are still anticipating the FDA will eventually endorse the Merck drug as another tool to treat COVID-19 cases (through NBC). A bigger question is who will be borne by EUA, assuming someone is given. This drug is intended for those who are at high risk of hospitalization and death due to COVID-19, but there is a possibility that an authorization can further limit who can receive oral antivirus treatment, depending on safety data.