India’s Hetero Labs Seeks Emergency Use Nod For Merck’s COVID-19 Drug: On Friday, India’s Hetero Labs said it desired an emergency use nod for Merck’s COVID-19 drug, from the local regulator. Merck’s COVID-19 drug is Molnupiravir. The trials had shown that this drug helped in reducing hospitalizations and in mild cases, the recovery is also good.
Merck & Co and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics developed an antiviral drug, Molnupiravir, for the treatment of non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
In between March and April, Merck met various Indian drugmakers such as Dr. Reddy’s laboratories and Cipla, for expanding production of the drug and conduct trials.
In late April, Merck said, the license to make and supply Molnupiravir to India and around a hundred middle and low-income countries will be given to the partnership companies, after the approval.
Hetero said Molnupiravir’s late-stage trial was conducted at all over India’s COVID-19 dedicated hospital sites and looked at the efficacy of the drug and patients’ safety with mild Covid-19.
The data showed a faster recovery rate, fewer hospital admissions, and early negative SARS-CoV-2 RT PCR results.
Merck and partner Ridgeback is doing a late-stage study of Molnupiravir, in the fall of 2024, the trials data can be expected.
Currently, India is seeing a decline in coronavirus cases from a peak in April, May. However, the third wave can be seen by October, health experts are saying.
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