(Reuters) – US drug maker Merck & Co Inc said on Saturday the experimental antiviral drug molnupiravir it was developing with Ridgeback Bio showed a faster reduction in the infectious virus in its phase 2a study among participants with early COVID-19.
The secondary objective findings of this study, of a faster decline in the infectious virus among people with early COVID-19 treated with molnupiravir, are promising, said William Fischer, associate professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. a statement from the companies.
The antiviral is currently being tested in a 2/3 phase process to be completed in May.
Merck decided to focus on therapy after the two COVID-19 vaccines failed to generate the desired immune responses, prompting it to abandon the program in January.
Reporting by Ann Maria Shibu in Bengaluru; Edited by Christian Schmollinger