Molnupiravir for the treatment of COVID-19.
Drugs Today (Barc)
; 58(7): 335-350, 2022 Jul.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1951495
ABSTRACT
Molnupiravir (MK-4482, EIDD-2801) is a promising broad-spectrum experimental antiviral developed by Merck & Co. It is a nucleoside analogue prodrug that undergoes rapid conversion into nucleoside triphosphate (NTP) by intracellular metabolic processes. NTP inhibits viral polymerase by acting as an alternative substrate. Molnupiravir was initially developed to treat influenza and Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) infection as it exerts its antiviral activity by inhibiting RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). Currently, it is being developed for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Molnupiravir has demonstrated potent in vitro antiviral activity against positive-sense RNA viruses including influenza viruses, SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV with low cytotoxicity and a high resistance barrier. Molnupiravir has been evaluated in phase I, II and III trials where it has demonstrated good efficacy, dose-dependent pharmacokinetics and a sound safety profile. In an interim analysis of a phase III study, treatment with molnupiravir reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by 50% in patients with COVID-19; in the final analysis, the reduction was 30%. On the basis of positive results in clinical trials, molnupiravir has been authorized for emergency use by the U.K. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in adults with mild to moderate COVID-19.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
COVID-19 Drug Treatment
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
/
Prognostic study
Limits:
Humans
Country/Region as subject:
North America
Language:
English
Journal:
Drugs Today (Barc)
Journal subject:
Occupational Medicine
/
Environmental Health
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Dot.2022.58.7.3419558
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