|
 Its authorization could help change clinical management of COVID-19
as the pill can be taken at home. The treatment, molnupiravir, could
halve the chances of death or being hospitalized for those most at
risk of contracting severe COVID-19, according to the drugmaker.
Viral sequencing done so far have showed it is effective against all
coronavirus variants, including Delta, Merck said.
The interim efficacy data on the drug, which has been developed with
Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, had heavily impacted the shares of
COVID-19 vacine makers when it was released last week.
[to top of second column] |
 Existing drugs include Gilead
Sciences Inc's infused antiviral remdesivir and
generic steroid dexamethasone, both of which are
generally only given once a patient has already
been hospitalized.
Meanwhile, monoclonal antibody drugs from
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc and Eli Lilly have
so far seen only limited uptake due to the
difficulty in administering them.
(Reporting by Manas Mishra and Leroy Leo in
Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur)
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