Merck’s COVID-19 pill may boost resistance

The experimental pill against covid-19 of Merck & Co. should be accompanied by other treatments as soon as they become available, in order to reduce the risk of resistance them, which would limit their effectiveness, said the director of the Wellcome Foundation, Jeremy Farrar.

Although it has not yet been cleared by regulators, molnupiravir by Merck has been hailed as a potential breakthrough, as it could be relatively inexpensive and easy to manufacture, does not require an infusion and in one trial showed that reduces the risk of hospitalization. However, it may need to be combined with other drugs to avoid resistance, he said. Farrar.

Resistance occurs when viruses and bacteria evolve to slow down or overcome the mechanism of attack of drugs. It is a constant concern about antivirals and antibiotics, and has already been seen with treatments against it. covid like the antibody therapy of Eli Lilly & Co .. Farrar suggested that the Merck pill would be no exception, despite optimism that it could be a new powerful weapon to fight the pandemic.

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While it’s still a concern for anti-infectives, the likelihood of this becoming a serious problem for molnupiravir seems low, he said. Nick kartsonis, senior vice president of clinical research for infectious diseases and vaccines Merck Research Laboratories. Previous experiences with other viruses have shown that evolution of resistant mutations was rare, he said.

The duration of treatment is short, which means that viruses are unlikely to progress to resistant forms. Another reason lies in the mechanism of action of the drug Molnupiravir, the development of which was initiated by researchers from the Emory University and other university centers, then licensed by the partner of Merck Ridgeback Therapeutics LP, works by introducing errors into the genetic material of the coronavirus. Then the errors are replicated until the virus disappears.

A preliminary study published last week showed that molnupiravir has the potential to reduce the rate of hospitalization and death in around the 50% in patients with covid mild to moderate. A widely available covid pill could be “extremely important” in developing countries where access to hospitals is limited and vaccines are not available, he said. Farrar.

RB