Britain First in World to Approve COVID-19 Pills
Molnupiravir is an experimental antiviral drug.
Britain has become the first country in the world to approve pills against the coronavirus. Molnupiravir is an experimental antiviral drug developed to treat influenza. Clinical trials have shown that it roughly halves the risk of hospitalization and death from the coronavirus.
The British Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approved the drugs. Health Secretary Sajid Javid called the day “historic for the country.” According to him, the treatment will “change the game” for patients with weakened immune systems.
The pills will be given twice a day to the most vulnerable patients who have recently been diagnosed with the disease.
The Pill Is a Weapon in the Fight
Molnupiravir was jointly developed by the American pharmaceutical companies Merck Sharp & Dohme and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics. The drug will be produced in the form of tablets for oral use rather than administered intravenously.
The drug works by blocking an enzyme the virus needs to create its DNA. This should prevent it from multiplying and reduce the risk of a severe course of the disease.
Merck says the pills will also be effective against new strains of the coronavirus that may emerge in the future. The MHRA recommended molnupiravir for patients with moderate and mild symptoms, those with underlying conditions, excess weight, diabetes or heart problems, as well as elderly people.
The head of the MHRA said the pill is “another therapeutic agent that adds to our arsenal in the fight against the coronavirus.”
June Raine
head of the MHRAThis is the world’s first approved antiviral for this disease that can be taken orally rather than administered intravenously. This is important because it can be used outside hospitals, before the coronavirus progresses to a severe stage.
Britain has already ordered 480,000 courses of the drug, which are expected to arrive by the end of 2021. According to experts, the pills have enormous potential in the fight against the pandemic.
The pills are easy to produce, transport, store and administer. This makes them a particularly attractive option for countries with low and middle incomes, weak infrastructure and limited vaccine supplies.
Clinical Trials
Based on data from 775 patients who took part in the study and took molnupiravir, the following was established:
- 7.3% of patients were hospitalized
- Of those who took a placebo, 14.1% were hospitalized
- Of those who took the experimental drug, no one died
- Of those who took a placebo, eight people died
The company published these data in an official press release, but independent reviews have not yet confirmed them.
Based on the trial results, the pill must be taken in the early stages of symptoms to be effective. Previously, manufacturers tried to conduct another study involving patients hospitalized with severe coronavirus symptoms, but it had to be stopped because the drug did not produce noticeable results.
Merck was the first company to report trial results for a coronavirus pill. Other pharmaceutical companies are also working on similar developments.
For example, Pfizer has started studies of two different antiviral pills. Swiss company Roche is also developing such drugs.
Russian Attacks in Dnipropetrovsk Region: Two Killed, Seven Injured
Defense Forces Strike Four Russian Drone Control Points in Past Day, Including in Berdiansk
Britain Threatens Sanctions on Kremlin-Linked People; Poland Ready to Hand Ukraine Ammunition
Russia says it has completed "planned exercises" in the Black Sea
MVD: Fake Riots With Prop Blood Were Being Prepared Near Presidential Office
Law Enforcers Name Another Klitschko Deputy as Suspect
Berlin Holds Protest Against War in Ukraine; EU Prepares for Possible Russian Halt of Gas Supplies
North Korea Fires Ballistic Missile Over Record Distance in Five Years
Irish Fishermen Force Russia to Postpone Naval Drills
US sanctions in case of invasion of Ukraine could completely destroy Russia's economy, NYT reports
