Merck COVID-19 Oral Antiviral Cuts Risk of Hospitalization, Death By 50%

Merck & Co Inc MRK and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics have announced data from a planned interim analysis of Phase 3 MOVe-OUT trial of molnupiravir (MK-4482, EIDD-2801) from 775 COVID-19 patients.
Related: Merck's COVID-19 Antiviral Pill Effective Against Variants, Lab Studies Show.
Data showed that molnupiravir reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50% in at-risk, non-hospitalized adult patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19.
7.3% of patients who received molnupiravir were either hospitalized or died through Day 29 following randomization, compared with 14.1% of placebo-treated patients.
Through Day 29, no deaths were reported in patients who received molnupiravir compared to 8 deaths in patients in the placebo group.
Amid the positive data, recruitment into the study will be stopped early. Merck plans to apply for FDA Emergency Use Authorization as soon as possible.
The incidence of any adverse event was comparable in the molnupiravir and placebo groups (35% and 40%, respectively).
In anticipation of the results from MOVe-OUT, Merck has been producing molnupiravir.
Related: Merck Inks Molnupiravir Supply Pact With US Government For COVID-19.
Merck expects to produce 10 million courses of treatment by the end of 2021, with more doses expected in 2022.
Related: Merck Teams Up With Five Indian Generic Players To Expand COVID-19 Drug Access, Production.
Price Action: MRK stock is up 4.75% at $78.68 during the premarket session on the last check Friday.
Photo by Arek Socha from Pixabay

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