Dr. Ray talking about Merck says COVID-19 pill cuts risk of death, hospitalization. Flu season and Covid variants.
- Merck plans to seek emergency authorization for their oral antiviral treatment for Covid, after the medicine showed "compelling results" in clinical trials.
- The drug, molnupiravir, reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by about 50% for patients with mild or moderate cases of Covid, the company announced Friday.
- Molnupiravir is given orally and works by inhibiting the replication of the coronavirus inside the body, according to Merck.
- If authorized, molnupiravir could be the first oral antiviral medicine for COVID-19.
- Antiviral treatments currently in use, such as remdesivir, are administered intravenously.
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