LONDON: A major breakthrough from an Ireland-based pharmaceuticals giant could see the introduction of a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) treatment administered in pill form.
MSD Pharmaceutical said the company was in the “advanced” stages of producing a tablet treatment, in partnership with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, that would prevent the spread of the virus.
The pill uses the orally administered drug Molnupiravir, which triggers errors in the virus’ genetic material during replication. This prevents the ability of the virus to create more viruses, slowing its capacity to spread to more people.
Initially developed to treat influenza, it is now in second and third-stage trials, with the first results on effectiveness expected by March.
Ireland’s deputy leader, Leo Varadkar, announced the development in parliament on Wednesday.
MSD Pharmaceutical, known as Merck & Co. in the US and Canada, had attempted to develop two COVID-19 vaccines, but abandoned its efforts when trials showed they did not provide adequate protection.
While vaccination remains the gold-standard for nationwide protection from COVID-19, treatments such as this would provide additional options for healthcare workers and public health professionals in fighting the pandemic.
Vaccination programs underway throughout much of Europe, the Middle East, and North America are picking up pace, but are still a long way from providing blanket protection to populations. As a result, additional therapeutic treatments are still essential in government strategies aimed at slowing infection rates and saving lives.
