© via REUTERS
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The results of Merck’s new corona drug are disappointing. That is what the pharmaceutical company itself says. The pill reduces the risk of hospitalization and death by only 30 percent, compared to a previous clinical study of 50 percent.
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Kim ClemensSource: Reuters
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The European Medicines Agency (EMA) gave an accelerated green light last week; the US FDA was laudatory in a preliminary report on Friday. But Merck now has to adjust its expectations about Molnupiravir itself. The pill, which will be distributed by us under the brand name Lagrevio, is less effective than previously thought.
The aim is for the antiviral drug to be given to high-risk patients to keep them out of the hospital. An initial clinical trial with 775 participants also showed that the drug succeeded in 50 percent of the cases. But after data from 1,433 participants, that number had to be adjusted to 30 percent. Of the patients who received Molnupiravir, 6.8 percent ended up in hospital. One person died. The people who received a placebo had a 9.7 percent risk of ending up in the hospital. Nine people have died.
All hope in Pfizer
Merck expects to produce 10 million courses of the drug before the end of the year. The US has already ordered 5 million. Experts point out the good results in terms of mortality if treatment is started on time.
In any case, the news raises hopes for Pfizer’s corona pill. A clinical study with more than 1,200 participants shows that Paxlovid could protect as much as 89 percent against severe corona. In other words: 9 out of 10 hospitalizations could be avoided.
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