Merck Announces that Researches Shows its COVID-19 Pill Works Against Variants

Pharmaceutical giant Merck had some exciting news this week, revealing that laboratory studies show that Merck & Co’s experimental oral COVID-19 antiviral drug, molnupiravir, is likely to be effective against known variants of the coronavirus.

This includes the dominant, highly transmissible Delta.

Jay Grobler, head of infectious disease and vaccines at Merck, has said that since molnupiravir does not target the spike protein of the virus – the target of all current COVID-19 vaccines – which defines the differences between the variants, the drug should be equally effective as the virus continues to evolve.

Data shows that the drug is most effective when given early in the course of infection, Merck said.

The company had tested its antiviral against nasal swab samples taken from participants in early trials of the drug.

While the Delta variant was not in wide circulation at the time of those trials, but molnupiravir was tested against lab samples of the variant behind the latest surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths.

Earlier this year the company also said that a small, mid-stage trial found that after five days of molnupiravir treatment, none of the patients taking various doses of the drug tested positive for infectious virus, while 24% of placebo patients did have detectable levels.

The company has two Phase III trials of the antiviral it is developing with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics. One is for the treatment of COVID-19 and another as a preventive.

The Phase III treatment study will finish in early November, Grobler said.

Disclaimer: We have no position in any of the companies mentioned and have not been compensated for this article.