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Merck & Co. (NYSE: MRK) says it plans toseek regulatory nod for its COVID-19 pill that it claims can reducehospitalizations and death by half.
The pharma major will soon approach health officials in theU.S. and around the world for authorizing its use.
Merck's drug promises to be the pill that cures COVID-19 byoral application, a potentially major advance in efforts to fight the pandemic.All COVID-19 therapies now authorized in the U.S. require an IV or injection, anAP report says.
Merck and its partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics said earlyresults showed patients who received Molnupiravir within five days of COVID-19symptoms had about half the rate of hospitalization and death as patients whoreceived a dummy pill.
Future medical meeting
The study tracked 775 adults with mild-to-moderate COVID-19considered higher risk for severe disease due to health problems like obesity,diabetes or heart disease.
Among patients taking Molnupiravir, 7.3% were eitherhospitalized or died at the end of 30 days, compared with 14.1% of thosegetting the dummy pill. There were no deaths in the drug group after that timeperiod compared with eight deaths in the placebo group, Merck said. The resultswere released by the company and have not been peer reviewed. to present them at a future medical meeting.
The U.S. has approved antiviral drug Remdesivirspecifically for COVID-19, and allowed emergency use of three antibodytherapies that help the immune system fight the virus. at hospitals or medical clinics,and supplies have been stretched by the latest surge of the delta variant.
Several other companies, PFE)and Roche, are studying similar drugs that could report results in the comingweeks and months.
Merck had planned to enroll more than 1,500 patients in itslate-stage trial before the independent board stopped it early. The resultsreported on Friday included patients enrolled across Latin America, Europe andAfrica. Executives estimated about 10% of patients studied were from the U.S.
With Associated Press
Image Credit: Merck& Co. Website