Yesterday we saw PfizerĄ¯s pill for COVID-19 treatment get approved by the FDA and today, MerckĄ¯s pill dubbed 'Molnupiravir'? for COVID-19 treatment gets emergency use authorization.
Also Read:?United States Approves Use Of World's First Pill To Treat Covid-19
The pill developed by Merck works by limiting the replication of SARS-CoV-2 by adding ĄŽerrorsĄ¯ in the genetic code of the virus, when the infection is in its nascent stages, preventing mild or moderate cases from intensifying into high-risk ones.
The pill is only permitted to be consumed by those over the age of 18 as there are concerns of it affecting bone and cartilage development in younger patients. People are also recommended to not consume the medicine while they're pregnant or trying to conceive.?
FDA has recommended people to use birth control both during and after the treatment, with women asked to wait for a few days after, whereas men were asked to wait for at least three months after their final dose.?
Dr Nick Kartsonis, MerckĄ¯s senior vice president of clinical research, has revealed that researchers are still looking at the Molnupiravir 's effects and wish to eventually get it approved for use in children.
Also Read:?Bill Gates: Omicron Spreads Faster Than Any Virus In History, Stay Home For Christmas
The drug underwent a trial in more than a thousand people, with mild side effects such as diarrhoea and nausea in only a small percentage of patients.
The drug isnĄ¯t as effective as the Pfizer drug, with just 30 percent efficacy, compared to nearly 90 percent seen on PfizerĄ¯s drug.
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