Merck claimed Friday that its anti-Covid tablet is still “active” against the Omicron form, citing results from six laboratory experiments.
The oral therapy, molnupiravir, is taken within five days of symptom start and was proven to reduce Covid hospitalizations and fatalities by 30% among at-risk persons in a pre-Omicron trial of 1,400 participants.
Researchers in six nations conducted independently in vitro investigations using cell-based assays: Belgium, Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, the Netherlands, and the United States.
According to Dr. Dean Y Li, head of Merck Research Laboratories, the findings reveal “that molnupiravir has consistent antiviral effectiveness against Omicron, the major variant circulating globally.”
These findings “provide additional confidence in the potential of molnupiravir as an important treatment option for certain adults with mild to moderate Covid-19 who are at high risk for progressing to severe disease,” he said.
According to Merck, which is known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, the effectiveness of molnupiravir against Omicron has yet to be assessed in clinical trials.
More than ten nations, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan, have approved the treatment, which is sometimes marketed as Lagevrio.
According to Merck, Washington has spent $2.2 billion for 3.1 million courses of its medicine, of which two million have already been given.
Merck aims to manufacture an additional 20 million courses this year, bringing the total number of courses delivered in 2021 to ten million.
