![]() ![]() Molnupiravir is not recommended for use during pregnancy because findings from animal reproduction studies showed that molnupiravir may cause fetal harm when administered to pregnant individuals. How does Merck’s COVID-19 pill (molnupiravir) work? Shaw and other infectious disease experts to answer commonly asked questions about Merck’s new COVID pill. Meanwhile Pfizer reported that its pill (combined with a low dose of ritonavir, an HIV drug) showed 89% efficacy in preventing hospitalization and death in the high-risk patients it studied. This is a pill your physician could write a prescription for, that you could pick up in a drugstore.”Īn early report showed the Merck drug cut the risk of hospitalization and death to 50% in patients who had mild-to-moderate disease, but a final analysis of the trial reported on in November, before the FDA authorization, showed a reduction in that benefit to 30%. “Other COVID-19 treatments, such as remdesivir or monoclonal antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus causing COVID-19, are given intravenously. “It certainly has the potential to be a really important advance,” said Albert Shaw, MD, PhD, a Yale Medicine infectious diseases specialist, when the Merck application was submitted. ![]() Pfizer submitted its application in November for a medication called Paxlovid. Merck applied for authorization first, in October, for a pill called molnupiravir, and many hailed the new drug as a potential game-changer. But in December 2021, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued emergency use authorizations (EUAs) for two pills that patients can take at home in the days after COVID-19 symptoms arise to prevent severe disease and avoid going to the hospital. ![]() Over the past year, discussions-sometimes heated ones-about ending the COVID-19 pandemic have largely focused on the availability, effectiveness, and safety of vaccines. Because information about COVID-19 changes rapidly, we encourage you to visit the websites of the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), and your state and local government for the latest information. Scientists continue to study the real-world effectiveness of both. Note: Since this story about Merck’s molnupiravir was originally published, the Food and Drug Administration has provided emergency use authorizations for pills from both Merck and Pfizer. ![]()
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