A breakthrough in the treatment of COVID-19? A pill that reduces the risk of death. How it works?

The world is looking for a drug against COVID-19 that would be cheap and easy to administer. All the more hopes were raised by the information about the effects of an oral pill developed by Merck & Co. The results of research recently announced by the company, some hailed as a potential breakthrough in the treatment of COVID-19. Other experts, however, remind you that you cannot “get carried away”. How does an experimental cure for coronavirus work, when might it be in use, and what are scientists saying about it? WE EXPLAIN.

1. On October 1, the American pharmaceutical concern Merck & Co. announced the results of clinical trials conducted on an experimental pill against COVID-19. As reported, it reduces the likelihood of hospitalization and death from the disease by half
2. The pill acts on the coronavirus enzyme, which is responsible for copying its genetic code and reproducing it. Thus, it prevents the spread of the pathogen in the body
3. In clinical trials, both the experimental pill and the placebo group reported side effects (rates were similar in both groups). However, the company did not provide any more details
4. What are the scientists saying about Merck? Some people highlight problematic issues
5. More information can be found on the Onet homepage.

The Merck Pill in the treatment of COVID-19. “The results exceeded expectations”

We still do not have a drug to combat COVID-19, and the existing methods of fighting SARS-CoV-2 infection are – as Amesh Adalja of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security notes – “burdensome and logistically difficult to administer”. However, there was hope for a change in this state of affairs, so great that some even talk about a possible breakthrough in the treatment of COVID-19.

On October 1, Merck and its collaborator Ridgeback Biotherapeutics announced the results of clinical trials conducted on an experimental oral antiviral pill, molnupiravir, also known as the Merck pill. “The results exceeded my expectations in clinical trials with this drug,” said Dr. Dean Li, associate research associate at Merc & Co. The company also reported that the results were so positive that external observers asked to stop the study early.

Following the release of the study, US President’s adviser Jeff Zients said the drug is “a potential additional tool in protecting people from the worst effects of COVID-19.” At the same time, he stressed that vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 “remains our best tool against COVID-19”. The media note that if the pill under test is approved by regulators, it will be the first oral antiviral drug to be used to treat COVID-19. What exactly did the research on this preparation show?

COVID-19 pill – research. 50 percent a decrease in hospitalizations or deaths

The study involved 775 adult patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 whose symptoms had been present for up to five days. Participants belonged to groups at risk of acute COVID-19 due to comorbidities (obesity, diabetes, heart disease). Some of them were given molnupiravir (they received it twice a day), some were given a placebo.

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Among the patients taking the pill were hospitalized 7,3%. In the placebo group this percentage was 14,1%. Regarding the deaths: none of the patients taking the test drug died. There were eight deaths in the control group.

As the company announced, the results of mid-term clinical trials suggest that the tested antiviral pill can halve the risk of hospitalization or death in people most at risk of severe COVID-19. – When you see 50 percent a decrease in hospitalizations or deaths means that the drug has significant clinical potential, said Dr. Dean Li of Merc & Co.

In clinical trials, both those receiving the experimental pill and the placebo reported side effects (rates were similar in both groups). However, the company did not provide any more details.

The presented research results have not yet been verified.

COVID-19 Drug. How does the Merck pill work?

The Merck Pill works by targeting an enzyme that the pathogen uses to make copies of itself. This is to introduce errors into the genetic code of the virus, preventing it from spreading throughout the body.

Merck believes that this will also make the drug effective against future variants of the virus. The company also reports that, according to previous studies, molnupiravir works against all variants of the coronavirus, including the highly infectious Delta mutation.

Importantly, the results of the tests suggest that the pill should be administered shortly after the onset of symptoms to be effective. An earlier study involving patients who had already been hospitalized for the severe course of COVID-19 was halted after disappointing results, the BBC reports.

It is also worth mentioning that the Merck pill was originally developed to treat the flu.

Molnupiravir in the treatment of COVID-19. What do the scientists say? Comments

Reuters notes that scientists have welcomed the potential therapy. “A safe, inexpensive, and effective oral antiviral drug would be a huge step forward in the fight against COVID-19,” commented an epidemiologist and professor of emerging infectious diseases and global health at the University of Oxford, Peter Horby. – Molnupiravir looked promising in the lab, but the real test was whether it showed benefit in patients. Many drugs fail at this stage, so these temporary results are very encouraging – noted the scientist.

However, there were also opinions dampening the enthusiasm. “This news is positive, but we must not get carried away,” warns Dr. Simon Clarke, associate professor of cell microbiology at the University of Reading (England). The scientist draws attention to one point: – The drug causes the machinery that reproduces the genetic material of SARS-CoV-2 to make mistakes, thus stopping the effective replication of the pathogen. This mode of action can cause problems with our own cells and while reports say the drug is well tolerated, we still do not have full details of any side effects. – says the scientist.

Dr. Peter English, a public health and health consultant in the South East of England, sees another problem: – The trouble with antiviral drugs like molnpyavir is that they would have to be taken before people are (usually) judged sick enough to need anything other than symptomatic treatment. Likewise, many other antivirals, such as those for the flu or cold sores, are only effective when used very early in the disease.

The Merck Pill for COVID-19. 10 million doses of the drug by the end of 2021

Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics said they plan to obtain emergency approval for the pill in the US as soon as possible and to file regulatory applications worldwide. The US government has already announced that it will purchase 1,7 million doses of the drug if it is approved for use by the FDA. Firma przekazała, że do końca roku będzie w stanie wyprodukować 10 mln dawek leku. Jego cena nie jest jeszcze znana.

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Other companies are also working on similar methods of treatment. Pfizer recently began late-stage research with two different antiviral pills. The Swiss company Roche Holding AG is also working on a similar drug.

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