Here comes the anti covid pill by Merck. It is still experimental but the results achieved so far are exciting and this opens up new scenarios in the fight against the virus.
Merck & Co. has announced that its experimental pill molnupiravir against Covid-19 has cut hospitalizations and deaths by half in recently infected people, so it will soon apply for authorization for use. If it gets it, the drug will be the first treatment of its kind and a potentially big step forward in the fight against the pandemic.
Merck and partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics They said preliminary results showed that patients who used molnupiravir within five days of developing symptoms saw their rates of hospitalization and death halved, compared with those who received a placebo.
The study followed 775 adults with mild to moderate symptoms, considered at high risk for severe disease due to health problems such as obesity, diabetes, or heart disease. Among patients who took molnupiravir, 7,3% were hospitalized or died within 30 days, compared with 14,1% of those who took the placebo.
In the first group there were no deaths in the same period, while in the other there were eight. “A 50% reduction in hospitalizations and deaths is a substantial clinical impact,” said Dean Li, vice president of research at Merck. The pill works by interfering with an enzyme that the coronavirus uses to copy its genetic code and reproduce; it has shown similar activity against other viruses.
The government Usa has pledged to purchase 1,7 million doses of the drug, if it is authorized by the Food and Drug Administration. Merck said it could produce 10 million doses by the end of the year and has contracts with several governments.
A tragic road accident rocked the community of Pozzuoli last night, resulting in the death of a 58-year-old man. The victim, identified as Daniele Ciro, originally from Arzano but resident in Licola, died from serious injuries sustained in the crash. According to initial reports from the competent authorities,…
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