A COVID pill could cut down on your chance of dying or being admitted to the hospital by half. “game-changing”Test results have been published.
In a study, US drug companies Ridgeback Biotherapeutics and Merck revealed that their antiviral drug Molnupiravir reduced severe Covid rates by 50%.
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After a positive test, it could be the first approved pill for Covid-high risk patients to use at home.
The UK’s antivirals taskforce – which hopes to get two drugs in use by the end of the year – is in talks with the manufacturers about a deal.
Dr Daria Hazuda, vice-president of research at Merck, said: “This is a very exciting day for patients in the global fight against Covid.
“It is the first antiviral that has shown efficacy in the outpatient setting for Covid. I think that’s game-changing.”
The study results were based on drug tests performed on 775 patients who had tested positive but not yet been diagnosed with the virus.
The study showed that 7.3 percent of patients who received molnupiravir were admitted to hospital, as compared with 14.1 percent of those who weren’t.
The results were so satisfying that the companies ended the trial earlier than planned and they will apply for a license from the US drug regulators.
A first of its kind, the drug works by forcing errors into the coronavirus’s genetics when it reproduces.
This stops the virus from multiplying as fast, crippling it and stopping it from spreading further. The immune system can then fight off Covid.
Scientists from the UK were happy to hear the news, however they stated that the drug must be directed at the most vulnerable.
Professor Peter Horby from the University of Oxford said: “Quite a lot of people need to be treated to prevent one hospitalisation or death.”
The British Medical Association’s former chair, Dr Peter English, also added: “In my opinion, these drugs might have a role if you can first identify people at risk of more serious disease.”
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