Mercks Covid-Pill – BioQuakes

Since the beginning of the pandemic, research of antiviral medicines and drugs have only become more specific with combating the Coronavirus. Merck’s new drug, Molnupiravir, was a result of pharmaceuticals amplifying research on Covid. The foreshadowing of this drug shows a bright future and an end to Covid-19 once and for all.

Merck applied for authorization first in October and many praised the new drug as a potential game-changer. Pfizer submitted their version of medication called Paxlovid in November. The Food and Drug Administration has provided emergency use authorizations for pills from both Merck and Pfizer while scientists continue to study the real-world effectiveness of both. Molnupiravir is administered as four 200 milligram capsules taken orally every 12 hours for five days, for a total of 40 capsules. It is not authorized for use for longer than five consecutive days where its use seems to be feasible to all users.

Molnupiravir works by introducing errors into the SARS-CoV-2 virus’ genetic code where it prevents the virus from further replicating. Dr. Shaw, a Yale Medicine infectious diseases specialist, explains when the drug enters your bloodstream, it blocks the ability of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to replicate, a Yale Medicine infectious diseases specialist, Dr. Shaw explains. The coronavirus uses RNA as its genetic material. The structure of Molnupiravir resembles the nucleosides (or chemical building blocks) used to make the virus’s RNA. The drug works by incorporating itself into the RNA as it’s being synthesized where it “results in many mutations, or changes in the RNA genetic code, introduced into the viral RNA,” says Dr. Shaw. “And when this RNA is translated into viral proteins, these proteins contain too many mutations for the virus to function.” If this disables replication and RNA’s ability to infect our cells, we will not be as sick from Covid no longer.

An early report showed the Merck drug cut the risk of hospitalization and death to 50% in patients who had mild-to-moderate cases. Results from the Molnupiravir clinical trial, conducted in the U.S. and other countries, suggested the drug would be effective against CDC “variants of concern,” including the Delta, Gamma, and Mu mutations. Scientists are still studying how well the drug works to treat Omicron and are optimistic since its application is the same with Omicron’s RNA.

While this is exciting news, the vaccine many researchers, scientist, and doctors say is still our first line of defense. Some are even concerned that the attention on Molnupiravir will “draw attention away from vaccination,” says Dr. Meyer. “Some people might say, ‘I’m not getting vaccinated because I’ll have access to these medications’—to this pill or to remdesivir or other treatments. But you can’t trade one for the other. If you haven’t done so already, the most important thing is still to get the vaccine.”

In a recent clinical trial to test Merck’s Covid-19 pill, Scientists have found that the drug showed early signs of preventing hospitalization and death from the coronavirus in people at high risk of severe disease. Merck’s Covid-19 pill would be taken orally to prevent the replication of certain RNA viruses to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The drug molnupiravir was the driving factor of this pill that would allow it to show such high results. The antiviral medication works by making mutations in viral RNA so that viruses are rendered noninfectious. Such mutations happen throughout the virus’s genetic genome.

A 48 percent reduction in the relative risk of hospitalization or death. Despite this, on November 26, Merck announced in a news release that when all the available data from the trial was in, the relative reduction risk fell to 30 percent. After being reviewed by the FDA, the scientists determined that the placebo group and the molnupiravir group were too similar to declare the drug effective. They came to a 13-10 split decision vote about whether the drug should be immediately sent out for emergency use. The vote and debate reflected a storm of uncertainty about the drug’s efficacy and who should use it. Not only was there a debate, but the panel also queried whether the drug could lead to an even more dangerous version of the coronavirus and whether it can cause growth delays in children or mutation in human DNA. The drug is an artificial RNA building block, a nucleotide, that can mimic cytosine and uracil bases. Some enzymes in human cells might convert those RNA subunits to a DNA building block, which may lead to mutations in human DNA, especially in blood cells.

“The potential for this drug to drive some very challenging variants into the public is of major, major concern,” said James Hildreth, an immunologist, and president of Meharry Medical College in Nashville. Merck representatives noted that it is doubtful because infectious viruses were no longer detected after five days of taking the drug dosage. In one of their studies, the company found seven patients who had changes in the coronavirus’s spike protein after taking molnupiravir. Still, there was no evidence that the viruses spread to other people.

The question of whether Merck’s Covid-19 Pill will work is still very unknown due to the symptoms it may cause and the side effects that come along with it. The question may never be answered due to the progressively changing varients of the coronavirus. We should continue testing this drug and modifying it to have the best outcome and the least amount of side effects. What do you think about these new drugs? What next steps should scientists take to make it available to the public? Should we release it to the public?

BioQuakes

AP Biology class blog for discussing current research in Biology

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