Merck formally applies for EUA for oral COVID-19 antiviral treatment

Merck today announced its submission for a Food and Drug Administration emergency use authorization of its investigational oral antiviral COVID-19 medicine. The drug, molnupiravir, is meant for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in at-risk adults. According to Merck, an interim analysis of its ongoing phase 3 clinical trial yielded positive results for non-hospitalized adult patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 who were at risk for progressing to severe COVID-19 and/or hospitalization; according to the data, molnupiravir reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.