The COVID-19 antiviral drug Molnupiravir helps speed up recovery from the virus but does not reduce the hospitalization or death rate in higher-risk vaccinated adults, a new study has found. Molnupiravir, from Ridgeback Biotherapeutics and Merck & Co. is used to treat mild to moderate COVID-19 and can be taken at home, twice a day for five days, within…

A study conducted by Hong Kong University (HKU) Medical School found that two oral drugs, molnupiravir and ritonavir-boosted nirmatrelvir, could reduce the risk of death in COVID-19 patients if used at the early stage of hospital admission. Molnupiravir reduced the risk of all-cause death by 52 percent, while a 66 percent reduction was observed with…

Pfizer’s new antiviral pill Paxlovid is receiving high-profile attention – the vice president even took it when she contracted COVID. But a strange phenomenon is being reported by some of its users, raising the question if it, too, should be avoided. Story at-a-glance So far, all of the drugs developed against COVID-19 have been disastrous…

Merck & Co said on Wednesday it expects its 2022 sales to increase as much as 18 percent over last year, mostly on sales of its new COVID-19 pill, molnupiravir. The drugmaker said sales of the COVID-19 drug were $952 million in the fourth quarter, and it expects another $5 billion to $6 billion in…

Merck’s COVID-19 oral pill molnupiravir has a mechanism of action that can work against Omicron and any other variant, a company executive said on Monday. “We’re very confident that it will effect Omicron … This mechanism in molecule (will) work for Omicron, and I would imagine against any variant that comes up,” Dean Li, president…

Indian multinational pharmaceutical company, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories will be launching a generic version of Merck’s COVID-19 oral antiviral medication, molnupiravir, at an extremely affordable treatment rate of 1,400 Rupees ($18.8), 37 times cheaper than in the United States. Dr. Reddy’s “Motflu” will be priced at $0.47 per 200-mg pill, and a treatment consists of a…

BENGALURU—India has approved Merck’s COVID-19 pill and two more vaccines for emergency use as the world’s second-most populous country braces for a possible spike in coronavirus cases due to the rapidly spreading Omicron variant. Asia’s third-largest economy has already said it will allow COVID-19 booster shots for some of its population as some Indian states…

PARIS—France has canceled its order for Merck & Co.’s COVID-19 antiviral drug following disappointing trial data and hopes instead to receive Pfizer’s competing drug before the end of January, the health minister said on Wednesday. France is the first country to publicly say it has canceled an order for the Merck treatment after the company…

Outside advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday narrowly voted to recommend the agency grant emergency use authorization (EUA) for a drug from Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics to treat COVID-19, called molnupiravir. Members of the FDA’s Antimicrobial Drugs Advisory Committee voted 13 for and 10 against the EUA for molnupiravir, agreeing with…

GENEVA—The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday that it was seeking further data from Merck on its experimental new antiviral COVID-19 pill and hoped to issue guidance in coming weeks regarding its use for mild and moderate cases. “This is a drug that we are currently evaluating and we met with Merck on Friday…