Covid: Merck and Pfizer pills
An efficacy study of Merck's oral medication molnupirivir for the treatment of non-hospitalized high-risk patients with symptomatic Covid found a 30% reduction in hospitalizations, in the MOVe-OUT trial (see covid molnupirivir nejm2021 in dropbox, or DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2116044). for the FDA factsheet, see https://www.fda.gov/media/155054/download Details: -- 1433 participants were randomized to molnupirivir (800 mg BID for five days) versus placebo, begun within five days of the onset of symptoms, in an international study -- median age 42 (range 18-90)/34% > 50yo, 51% female -- all were unvaccinated adults with mild to moderate laboratory-confirmed Covid tested no more than five days earlier, and had at least one risk factor for severe Covid: age >60, active cancer, CKD, COPD, obesity, serious heart conditions, or diabetes: -- obesity: 74% -- >60yo: 17% ...