Merck's new drug cuts covid deaths by half

 From The Guardian

The American multinational pharmaceutical company, Merck & Co,  has said that its experimental Covid pill reduced hospitalisations and deaths by half in people recently infected.

 The compnay said it would soon ask health officials in the US and around the world to authorise its use. The Associated Press reports:

If cleared, Merck’s drug would be the first pill shown to treat Covid, a potentially major advance in efforts to fight the pandemic. All Covid therapies now authorized in the U.S. require an IV or injection.

Merck and its partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics said early results showed patients who received the drug, called molnupiravir, within five days of Covid symptoms had about half the rate of hospitalisation and death as patients who received a dummy pill.

The study tracked 775 adults with mild-to-moderate Covid who were considered higher risk for severe disease due to health problems such as obesity, diabetes or heart disease.

An independent group of medical experts monitoring the trial recommended stopping it early because the interim results were so strong.

Company executives said they are in discussions with the Food and Drug Administration and plan submit the data for review in coming days.

Dr Dean Li, vice president of Merck research, said:

"It exceeded what I thought the drug might be able to do in this clinical trial. When you see a 50% reduction in hospitalisation or death that’s a substantial clinical impact."

Side effects were reported by both groups in the trial, but they were slightly more common among the group that received a dummy pill. The company did not specify the problems.

Merck's new antiviral drug

What do you think: will people stop taking Ivermectin, now thast an effective drug is here?  Or will they just keep taking it, because 'big pharma'?