NurPhoto via Getty Images
–
COVID – It could become a crucial tool in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic: the anti-Covid capsule. Invited on LCI on Thursday, November 18, Clarisse Lhoste, president of MSD France, confirmed the order of 50,000 capsules placed by France.
MSD France is the French subsidiary of the American pharmaceutical company Merck, which originated Molnupiravir, this small anti-covid capsule marketed under the name “Lagevrio”. The antiviral should be “available in pharmacies in France in December. We hope early in December ”, specified the president of MSD France on the antenna of LCI.
“We expect official authorization from the European Agency within two months. But France can, for emergency or critical treatments, have early access, ”said the leader.
–
The Minister of Health, Olivier Véran, announced the order of these 50,000 doses of anti-Covid 19 pills from the American laboratory Merck on October 26. Olivier Véran believes that this drug could be a game-changer in the fight against the epidemic, in particular because of its simple and rapid oral use.
“It’s not a miracle drug”
Antivirals work by reducing the ability of a virus to replicate, thereby slowing down the disease. Their application can be twofold: both to allow people already affected not to suffer from serious symptoms, but also to those who have been in close contact not to develop it.
It should be remembered that such treatment should especially not be considered as an alternative to vaccines. First, because the efficiency is much lower, then because the cost should be high (hundreds of dollars), note several researchers.
“This is not a miracle drug, but a tool to accompany vaccination,” said on Twitter Peter Hotez, professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, who is also worried about the possible appearance of a some resistance to the drug if widely used.
Other experts point out that this kind of treatment must be taken very early, often before the onset of worrying symptoms, to be effective. Merck, by anticipation, has in any case already started large-scale production of molnupiravir and plans to manufacture the doses needed for 10 million treatments by the end of the year.
Competition between Pfizer and Meck
Merck is not the only pharmaceutical company to develop a treatment against Covid-19. Pfizer also promises its side an anti-covid pill … which would be even more effective than molnupiravir. Pfizer’s antiviral may be marketed under the name “Paxlovid”.
The American biopharmaceutical company announced on November 5 that its anti-Covid pill was 89% effective in preventing the risk of hospitalization or death, according to the first results of clinical trials.
“The interim analysis showed an 89% reduction in the risk of Covid-19-related hospitalization and death from any cause compared to placebo in patients treated within three days of symptom onset” Pfizer said in its statement.
This treatment therefore appears to be more effective than that of Merck, authorized since November 4 by the United Kingdom and which reduces by about 50% the probability of hospitalization or death in patients at high risk of developing disease.
See also on The HuffPost: Why France has ordered 50,000 doses of anti-Covid pills
–
