Merck’s anti-Covid pill remains “active” against the Omicron variant, the US drugmaker said Friday, citing results from six laboratory studies.

The oral treatment, called molnupiravir, is taken within five days of symptom onset and was shown in a pre-Omicron trial of 1,400 participants to reduce Covid hospitalisations and deaths by 30 percent among at-risk people.

The latest in vitro studies, based on cell-based assays, were conducted independently by researchers in six countries: Belgium, Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, the Netherlands and the United States.

The results show “that molnupiravir has consistent antiviral activity against Omicron, the primary variant circulating globally,” said Dr Dean Y Li, the president of Merck Research Laboratories, in a statement.

These findings “provide additional confidence in the potential of molnupiravir as an important treatment option for certain adults with mild to moderate Covid-19 who are at high risk for progressing to severe disease,” he said.

https://www.barrons.com/amp/news/merck-says-covid-pill-active-against-omicron-01643391008

Category: Health