The Paper's reporter Li Xiaoxiao
Merck released the latest trial data on the COVID-19 oral drug monopivir.
On January 28, local time, Merck released a message on its official website that data from 6 preclinical studies showed that its new crown oral drug monupiravir (Molnupiravir) was active against the new coronavirus Omiljung variant strain in vitro.
According to Merck, these in vitro studies were conducted independently by researchers from six national institutions, including Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands and the United States, and these studies are based on cell-based tests to assess the antiviral activity of multiple drugs such as monupilvir against new coronavirus-related variants, including Omilon.
Merck stressed that at present, monupilvir has not been studied in clinical studies against Omiljung.
Monupilvir, a nucleoside drug in the oral form under investigation that works by interfering with viral replication to keep viral levels in the body low, thereby reducing the severity of the disease, was developed by Merck and biotech company Ridgeback. The drug is currently approved for use in more than 10 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan, of which it is authorized for emergency use in the United States, which is suitable for the treatment of mild to moderate new crown pneumonia in high-risk adult patients.
Merck said the above results provide additional confidence in the potential of monupivir to treat adult patients with mild to moderate COVID-19. Ridgeback said that based on the drug's mechanism of action and newly discovered evidence, it is expected that monupivir will continue to be able to effectively combat the new coronavirus variants that need attention and become an important tool for epidemic prevention and control.
The results of merck's previously published interim analysis showed that the drug reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by about 50 percent; 7.3 percent of patients treated with monupilvir were hospitalized or died between randomization and day 29, compared with 14.1 percent of those who received placebo. As of day 29, no deaths were reported from patients treated with monupipvir, compared with 8 deaths in patients receiving placebo.
Merck is not the first to announce that its COVID-19 treatments are effective for Opmi kerong.
On January 18, local time, Pfizer also issued a press release saying that in vitro tests showed that its new crown oral drug Paxlovid was effective against the Omiljung variant virus. Paxlovid is a treatment used by PF-07321332 and ritonavir, the former PF-07321332, which aims to block the activity of SARS-CoV-2-3CL protease. Ritonavir is a common HIV drug.
In addition to the above two oral new crown drugs, Gilead has also published the results of remdesivir on the Opmikhaon variant. On January 17, Gilead Sciences released a message mentioning that remdesivir targets a highly conserved viral RNA polymerase, so the existing strain of concern for the new crown virus is still active. Laboratory tests in vitro show that remdesivir is still active against the Omiqueron variant.
In addition to the new crown treatment drugs, the new crown vaccine is also of concern about whether the new crown vaccine is effective for Omicron. On January 25, local time, according to the Wall Street Journal, Pfizer and BioNTech have launched clinical trials on the new crown vaccine specifically for the Olmikron strain.
Responsible editor: Yes Dong Dong Photo editor: Jiang Lidong
Proofreader: Ding Xiao