All articles tagged with #molnupiravir
A meta-analysis of nine studies published in the Journal of Infection found that early use of oral antiviral drugs, particularly Paxlovid, reduced the risk of long COVID by 23%. The study suggests that broader use of antivirals may be beneficial in preventing long COVID, highlighting the importance of timely antiviral intervention.
A new study published in the journal Nature suggests that the antiviral drug molnupiravir, used to treat COVID-19, may be linked to specific mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Researchers found mutation signatures closely associated with patients treated with molnupiravir, and some of these mutations were advantageous to the virus and showed evidence of onward transmission. While there is no evidence that molnupiravir has contributed to the development of major variants like omicron, the study highlights the possibility of persistent antiviral-induced mutations and the need to weigh the risks and benefits of the drug.
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.
A study published in Nature reveals that the antiviral medication molnupiravir, widely used against SARS-CoV-2, induces mutations in the virus genome during replication. The study finds evidence of molnupiravir mutagenesis in SARS-CoV-2 sequencing databases, with a specific mutational signature characterized by a high proportion of G-to-A and C-to-T mutations. These mutations appear predominantly in sequences from 2022, after the introduction of molnupiravir treatment, and in countries and age-groups with widespread usage of the drug. The study confirms a direct association between these mutations and the use of molnupiravir, raising concerns about the potential for onward transmission of molnupiravir-mutated viruses.
Scientists have raised concerns that the antiviral drug molnupiravir, used to treat Covid-19 patients, may be causing mutations in the virus and fueling the evolution of new variants. While there is no evidence that molnupiravir has produced more dangerous variants, researchers have found evidence that the drug can sometimes lead to mutated versions of the virus that can still be transmissible. The mutations increase the genetic diversity of the virus and provide more options for future evolution. The implications of these mutations are still unclear, but further research is needed to assess the risks and benefits of molnupiravir and similar drugs.
Cyprus will repurpose 80,000 anti-COVID pills intended for humans to treat cats infected with a highly virulent strain of feline coronavirus. The pills contain Molnupiravir, which has shown effectiveness in treating feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) at an affordable price. Cat owners will be able to purchase the pills for $2.74 each following a diagnosis, with an estimated success rate of 85%. The death toll from the outbreak varies, with estimates ranging from 8,000 to 300,000 cats. Sufficient stock of anti-COVID pills will be maintained for human use in case of an outbreak.
Merck's revenue fell 9% in Q1 2022 due to a steep drop in sales of its Covid antiviral treatment, Molnupiravir, which plunged to $392 million, down 88% from the same period last year. However, excluding the Covid drug, Merck's revenue grew 11%. The pharmaceutical giant's net income was $2.82 billion, down from $4.31 billion a year ago. Merck's pharmaceutical unit saw higher sales of the blockbuster antibody treatment Keytruda, which increased 20% to $5.8 billion during the quarter, while sales of Gardasil, Merck's vaccine that prevents cancer from HPV, grew 35% to $2 billion.
A cohort study conducted by the US Department of Veterans Affairs found that treatment with the antiviral drug molnupiravir within five days of a positive COVID-19 test result was associated with a reduced risk of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC) in people with at least one risk factor for severe COVID-19. The study also found that molnupiravir was associated with reduced risk of post-acute death, post-acute hospital admission, and eight of the 13 prespecified post-acute sequelae. The findings suggest that molnupiravir use may be a viable approach to reduce the risk of PASC in people at high risk of severe COVID-19.