A pill by Merck could become the first to treat COVID-19 after its experimental pill was found to have reduced hospitalization and deaths by half among people infected with the coronavirus.
The company said that it would soon ask health officials in the US and around the world to authorize its use.
Once cleared, the drug would be the first pill to treat COVID-19, which will be a potentially major advancement in efforts to fight the pandemic. The Covid-19 therapies authorized in the US require an IV or injection.
RELATED STORY: UAE records 97% efficacy rate for Sotrovimab against COVID-19
According to Merck and its partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics early results showed patients who received the drug, called molnupiravir, within five days of COVID-19 symptoms had about half the rate of hospitalization and death against patients who received a dummy pill.
During the study as many as 775 adults were tracked with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 who were considered higher risk for severe disease due to health problems like obesity, diabetes or heart disease.
From the patients taking molnupiravir 7.3 per cent were either hospitalized or died at the end of 30 days compared with 14.1 per cent of those getting the dummy pill.
READ ON: Certain drugs to be ‘repurposed’ to combat COVID-19
No deaths in the drug group were reported after that time compared with eight deaths in the placebo group. The results were released by the Merck and have not been peer reviewed.
The company said it plans to present them at a future medical meeting. (AW)
