On Tuesday, Merck & Co Inc (MRK.N) claimed that its COVID-19 medication was ineffective at reducing the risk of coronavirus infections in those sharing a household with an infected person, as reported by Reuters.
Serious illness risk
The findings corroborated those of competitor Pfizer Inc (PFE.N), whose COVID drug Paxlovid also failed to shield household contacts from illnesses.
The two antiviral medications are approved as treatments for people at high risk of developing a serious illness, but interest in the Merck tablet has diminished as a result of studies showing that it is just 30% as effective as Pfizer’s Paxlovid.
Placebo group
Almost 1,500 people from household contacts who had recently tested positive for COVID-19 and had recently experienced at least one symptom were included in Merck’s late-stage experiment. The Lagevrio tablet, also known as molnupiravir, as compared to a placebo group and was administered every 12 hours for five days.
Through day 14, participants receiving the medication were 23.6% less likely than those receiving a placebo to develop COVID, failing to achieve the trial’s primary objective, according to Merck.
Access to medications
For patients with mild-to-moderate COVID who tested positive for the virus and who were at risk of advancing to severe COVID, emergency use authorisation for Paxlovid and Lagevrio was granted in December 2021.
In an effort to widen access to the medications, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration earlier in February eliminated the requirement for a positive test for Merck and Pfizer’s medicines.
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Source: Reuters
