Merck Covid drug linked to transmissible virus mutations, study finds

A new study published in the scientific journal Nature suggests that Merck's antiviral Covid pill, molnupiravir, can cause mutations in the virus that occasionally spread to other people, potentially accelerating Covid's evolution. The study found that mutations increased in 2022 after the introduction of molnupiravir in many countries. While there is no evidence that the drug has produced more transmissible or severe variants of Covid, the findings raise questions about the usefulness of molnupiravir and highlight the need for further assessment of its risks and benefits. Merck has disputed the study, stating that the mutations analyzed were associated with sporadic cases and lacked documented evidence of transmission.