MADISON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Drugmaker Merck says they’re going to ask health officials in the US and around the world to authorize the use of their new drug to treat COVID-19.
It’s called molnupiravir, and Merck says early results showed patients who received the drug within five days of COVID-19 symptoms had about half the rate of hospitalization and death as patients who received a dummy pill.
Ajay Sethi is an associate professor of health sciences at UW Madison.
“The data safety monitoring board actually said ‘we need to stop this trial, we’re seeing benefit already, it will no longer be ethical to continue it,” said Sethi.
The drugmaker is seeking Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA.
Bellin Health’s Dr. Michael Landrum says it could be a huge help.
“I don’t know if it’s a solution to everything, the vaccine is the best solution,” “but this is a huge step forward, to have something like this available that we can give people for early treatment.”
Landrum says it could go a long way to improve the morale of healthcare workers.
The U.S. government has committed to purchase the drug if it is authorized.
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