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A new study released Monday said Merck ’s widely used antiviral Covid pill can cause mutations in the virus that occasionally spread to other people, raising questions about whether the drug has the potential to accelerate Covid’s evolution. The findings may increase scrutiny about the usefulness of the treatment, molnupiravir, which was one of the first Covid drugs available to doctors worldwide during the pandemic. Molnupiravir works by causing mutations in Covid’s genetic information, which weakens or destroys the virus and reduces the amount of Covid in the body. However, the study published Monday in the scientific journal Nature found...

The COVID-19 antiviral drug Molnupiravir helps speed up recovery from the virus but does not reduce the hospitalization or death rate in higher-risk vaccinated adults, a new study has found.Molnupiravir, from Ridgeback Biotherapeutics and Merck & Co. is used to treat mild to moderate COVID-19 and can be taken at home, twice a day for five days, within five days of symptoms onset.It works by stopping the virus from replicating, keeping levels low in the body, thus reducing its severity.The study was published in The Lancet on Dec. 22 and has been peer reviewed.Between Dec. 8, 2021 and April 27,...

India’s top health research body announced on Wednesday that it won’t be adding Merck’s COVID-19 antiviral pill molnupiravir to its national treatment protocol, citing concerns over its safety.The state-run Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said it had become aware of “major safety concerns” that prompted the decision, despite India’s drug regulator in December approving the drug for emergency use.It comes after France in December also canceled its order for the drug, developed by Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, following disappointing trial data suggesting its drug was markedly less effective than previously thought.“Molnupiravir has major safety concerns including teratogenicity, mutagenicity, muscle...

How good is the FDA at EUA approval for COVID drugs? Well, so far, to be honest, pretty shitty. The first three Covid drugs approved under EUA were Remdesivir, Baricitinib, and Tofacitinib. All were EUA approved for inpatient use (in hospital) only, demonstrate dismal effectiveness and are replete with black box warnings and side effects such as organ failure, blood clots, serious infections and malignancy. PAXLOVID PAXLOVID was recently approved by the FDA without any external meetings or disclosure. There was no opportunity for public input. Essentially all done behind closed doors. Dr. Ryan Cole on the drug’s mechanism of...

An alarming admission was found near the bottom of a recent New York Times article about pharmaceutical giant Merck’s new Covid drug molnupiravir. Approved by the FDA two weeks ago, the drug was studied on isolated hamster cells for 32 days before being given the green light. While the FDA narrowly voted to recommend emergency use authorization for the drug, France’s National Authority of Health on Friday cited the pill’s own lack of efficacy as it ruled it will not be used in the European nation. According to the NYT report, “A team of researchers at the University of North...

Merck’s antiviral pill for COVID-19, molnupiravir, appears to be far less effective than early results from the clinical trial first suggested.According to an analysis by scientists at the FDA, the experimental pill cut the risk of hospitalization or death from COVID-19 by about 30%, compared to a placebo, and the pill showed no benefit for people with antibodies against COVID-19 from prior infection.The updated analysis showed 48 hospitalizations or deaths among study participants who were randomly assigned to take the antiviral drug, compared to 68 among those who took a placebo.Those results come from the full set of 1,433 patients...

The Biden administration is expected to announce this week that it is purchasing 10 million courses of Pfizer’s covid pill, a multibillion-dollar investment in medication that officials hope will help change the trajectory of the pandemic by staving off many hospitalizations and deaths, according to two people with knowledge of the transaction. U.S. officials see this antiviral pill, and another by Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, as potential game-changers to help restore a broader sense of normalcy and are eager to add them to a small arsenal of treatments for Americans who contract the coronavirus. With breakthrough cases rising and 30...

(This is from Dr. Campbell's YouTube description) New Pfizer antiviral and ivermectin, a pharmacodynamic analysis New Pfizer antiviral, PF-07321332, C₂₃H₃₂F₃N₅O₄ PF-07321332 is designed to block the activity of the SARS-CoV-2-3CL protease,

Britain authorized the world’s first antiviral pill to treat the coronavirus, which may cut the risk of hospitalization and death from COVID-19 in half among the unvaccinated. Britain on Thursday granted conditional authorization to drugmaker Merck's COVID-19 antiviral pill, becoming the first country in the world to OK the virus treatment. The drug, developed by U.S.-based Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, is the first pill to gain regulatory approval to treat the coronavirus, aimed at alleviating mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in at-risk adults. It's intended to be taken twice per day for five days. The authorization comes after the drug garnered positive results...

LONDON (AP) — Britain has granted a conditional authorization to Merck's coronavirus antiviral, the first pill shown to successfully treat COVID-19. It is the first country to OK the treatment, although it was not immediately clear how quickly the pill would be available. The pill was licensed for adults 18 and older who have tested positive for COVID-19 and have at least one risk factor for developing severe disease, such as obesity or heart disease. The drug, known as molnupiravir, is intended to be taken twice a day for five days by people at home with mild to moderate COVID-19....

Merck announced on Thursday that the United Kingdom conditionally authorized the use of its antiviral COVID-19 pill, molnupiravir. The pharmaceutical company said that molnupiravir, developed with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, had been authorized for use in Britain to treat mild to moderate cases of COVID-19 for adults with positive COVID-19 tests who had “at least one risk factor for developing severe illness.” The conditional authorization was based on an analysis of phase-three trials that found that use of the antiviral COVID-19 pill drastically reduced hospitalization in people who were administered molnupiravir.

Abstract The pharmacology of anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs, Molnupiravir (M) and repurposed Ivermectin (IV) were compared. The IC50 for the inhibition of viral replication were 0.3µM for M and 2.8µM for IV. Both drugs have good oral absorption, with M achieving peak plasma concentrations by 2 hours and IV by 5 hours. The plasma half life were 7 hours for M and 81-91 hours for IV. M inhibits viral replication inducing viral mutagenesis in RdRp, causing viral error catastrophe and viral extinction. IV affects viral cell entry, nuclear transport and inhibits replication via RdRp. IV has additional effect to suppress cytokine...

Editor’s Commentary: Before we get to Dr. Joseph Mercola’s article below, I thought I would offer my two conspiratorial cents on what’s driving Molnupiravir to be released instead of Ivermectin against Covid-19. First and foremost, I do not believe it is as effective as Ivermectin, and that’s the point. They don’t want an effective treatment to hamper their universal vaccination agenda, so by approving Molnupiravir instead of Ivermectin, they’re maintaining their push.This is not based on any science as I know nothing about the composition of either drug. The science is discussed below by smarter people than me. My theory...

In our fight against a global pandemic, we need all the weapons we can get. Merck’s announcement that it’s developing an antiviral pill to treat COVID is therefore welcome news. If molnupiravir is as effective as the drug maker claims, this early treatment option should make a big difference.But in the hype over Merck’s new pill, we’re losing sight of the fact that we already have an effective, affordable treatment for COVID that is helping to control the pandemic in many regions of the world—ivermectin. I ask those urging the Food and Drug Administration to rush molnupiravir through the approval...

Reuters reports October 1, 2021 Merck pill seen as ‘a huge advance’, raises hope of preventing COVID-19 deaths. Excerpts in italics with my bolds.Co will seek U.S. approval for pill as soon as possibleIf approved, would be 1st oral antiviral COVID-19 drugMerck shares rally, some vaccine makers fallU.S govt agreed to buy 1.7 mln courses at $700 eachAn antiviral pill developed by U.S. drugmaker Merck & Co (MRK.N) could half the chances of dying or being hospitalized for those most at risk of contracting severe COVID-19, with experts hailing it as a potential breakthrough in how the virus is treated.If...

Some social media users have been saying that Merck’s experimental COVID-19 antiviral product molnupiravir is a rebranded version of the anti-parasitic Ivermectin. Two disease experts have told Reuters that this is not the case and that the chemical make-up of the two drugs is different. One tweet (here ) reads, “Ivermectin is a safe cure that was removed from CDC treatment protocol. Merck refurbishes it and *poof, it’s a miracle pill. Further proof that Big Pharma is in the business of creating customers.” Similar posts on Facebook are visible here and here .One reads, in part, “The pharmaceutical giant Merck...

Biden spends over $2.4 billion on Merck wonder drug so good it deserves a 4,000% markup =========================================================================== Yesterday the pharmaceutical giant Merck asked the Food and Drug Administration to grant emergency use authorization for its new pill, Malnupiravir, that can treat COVID-19 for the eye watering price of $712, and Joe Biden already bought 1.7 million. The drug costs Merck $17.74 to produce. “Merck said it is asking for authorization for the capsules to treat infected adults who are at risk of progressing to severe Covid-19 disease or hospitalization,” reported CNN. A drug trial for Malnupiravir was reportedly ended early...

Merck said Monday it is seeking US Food and Drug Administration emergency use authorization for its experimental antiviral Covid-19 treatment, molnupiravir.If authorization is granted, the drug, made by Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, would be the first oral antiviral treatment to fight Covid-19. It comes in capsule form. Merck said it is asking for authorization for the capsules to treat infected adults who are at risk of progressing to severe Covid-19 disease or hospitalization. Its submission is based on a study that was stopped at the interim point because the drug was working so well in more than 700 patients randomly...

This is beyond disturbing. According to Dr Pierre Kory, MD, MPA, and verified by the Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance (FLCCC), 100 to 200 congressional reps and/or staff and families who contracted COVID-19 were treated with the Front Line Ivermectin protocol. ... This successful treatment is happening at the same time many congressional representatives are playing politics in favor of the vaccine; downplaying the effective anti-viral treatment and therapeutic approach with Ivermectin; and taking action to block regular American citizens from seeking similar treatment with Ivermectin. Congress can seek treatment with a medication they simultaneously deny to others? This...

Pharma giant Merck is facing accusations of price gouging after it charged the U.S. more than $700 per patient for a taxpayer-funded coronavirus treatment that, according to research, costs just $17.74 to produce. he New Jersey-based pharmaceutical giant Merck is facing accusations of price gouging after it charged the U.S. over $700 per patient for a taxpayer-funded coronavirus treatment that, according to research, costs just $17.74 to produce. Last week, Merck announced plans to request emergency federal authorization for molnupiravir after a late-stage clinical trial showed that a five-day course of the antiviral drug cut the risk of COVID-19 hospitalization...