Â鶹´«Ã½

Coronavirus

    • What would an antiviral pill mean for the fight against COVID-19?

    Share

    Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics announced on Friday early result that indicate their experimental oral antiviral drug molnupiravir.

    In a news release, the company said 7.3% of 385 patients who received the antiviral were either hospitalized or died from Covid-19, compared with 14.1% of the 377 patients who received a placebo, which does nothing.

    Full data from the molnupiravir trial has not yet been released, and this data has not yet been peer-reviewed or published. But Merck says it will seek authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and if it's granted, the drug could be the .

    "This is the most impactful result that I remember seeing of an orally available drug in the treatment of a respiratory pathogen, perhaps ever," Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, told CNN's Anderson Cooper on Friday. "I think getting an oral pill that can inhibit viral replication -- that can inhibit this virus -- is going to be a real game changer."

    Antiviral treatments are a type of antimicrobial -- treatments which kill or otherwise inhibit the development of microorganisms such as bacteria (fought by antibiotics), fungi (fought by antifungals), or, in this case, a virus.

    Some of the more familiar antivirals are those developed to treat herpes, HIV and the flu.

    "Most people have heard of Tamiflu, and they've heard of acyclovir," said Dr. Myron Cohen, a professor of medicine, microbiology, immunology and epidemiology at the University of North Carolina. Acyclovir is a type of antiviral used to treat chickenpox, herpes and shingles.

    "We didn't develop a ton of other antivirals," he said.

    What makes molnupiravir different

    Another antiviral, remdesivir, is currently the only drug approved by the FDA for the treatment of COVID-19. Remdesivir, which is made by Gilead Sciences and sold under the name Veklury, is administered by intravenous infusion, so it's not as simple as swallowing a pill.

    And remdesivir doesn't work for all COVID-19 patients. Studies have shown mixed results; it doesn't seem to, but it does seem to help people feel better faster, when it's given early in an illness.

    The National Institutes of Health's COVID-19 recommend remdesivir for hospitalized COVID-19 patients who need supplemental oxygen, but the recommends against using it outside of clinical trials.

    Molnupiravir would be simpler for patients -- no IV required -- and it works differently, by changing the SARS-CoV-2 virus to inhibit replication.

    "It actually gets incorporated into the genetic material of the of the virus and introduces errors," Dr. Daria Hazuda, chief science officer with MSD, Merck's label operating outside of the U.S. and Canada, said in a briefing with the Science Media Center in the U.K. on Friday.

    "So, over a number of incorporations, the errors make the virus less able to replicate."

    Dr. Mark Denison, a virologist at the Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology, and Inflammation, said the way molnupiravir works, called mutagenesis, is what separates it from remdesivir.

    "The two basic mechanisms are either chain termination, which I call the delayed stop sign, or mutagenesis, which is like blowing potholes in the road as the car is driving along. It's just damaging the genome," he told CNN.

    WHAT AN ANTIVIRAL PILL COULD MEAN FOR COVID-19

    Cohen, who has previously worked on molnupiravir, said when looking at results for an antiviral drug like molnupiravir, he wants to see three things.

    "Stop progression of disease, so you take them and you forget about it, right?" he said. "The second thing we'd like the pill to do, if you're taking it for symptomatic disease, is stop long COVID, right? It's not just 'Don't let me get progressed and die -- don't let me have lingering cough, lingering headache.' "

    Cohen said his third goal would be for "treatment to serve as prevention," so someone with COVID-19 is less likely to transmit it to others.

    "We'd like it to wipe out the SARS-CoV-2 replication in the nose so fast that your nose is no longer a danger to me," he said.

    Former Baltimore City Health Commissioner and CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen told CNN on Friday that having an antiviral drug which could prevent a COVID-19 infection from becoming severe is "crucial."

    "We already have monoclonal antibodies that do this and actually are pretty effective. The problem is they require an infusion or injections. That's really burdensome for the individual, that's burdensome on the health care system," she said, referring to Covid-19 treatments made by Regeneron, Eli Lilly and GlaxoSmithKline and Vir.

    "It would be a total game changer if somebody, when they're diagnosed with mild Covid, early on in their treatment are able to take a pill at home. That relieves the burden on the health care system. That also really helps the individual."

    Still, an antiviral can't replace a vaccine.

    White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients said during a briefing on Friday that the best way to think of such a drug is as an additional tool, to be used alongside vaccines.

    "This is a potential additional tool in our toolbox to protect people from the worst outcomes of COVID," Zients said. "I think it's really important to remember that vaccination, as we've talked about today, remains far and away our best tool against Covid-19. It can prevent you from getting COVID in the first place. And we want to prevent infections, not just wait to treat them once they happen."

    WHAT'S NEXT FOR MOLNUPIRAVIR

    There's still a lot to learn about the drug and who it might work for. The trial detailed Friday focused on adult patients who were considered high-risk for severe COVID-19, most commonly because of obesity, older age, diabetes and heart disease. None had been vaccinated against COVID-19.

    Molnupiravir is also being studied as post-exposure prophylaxis -- researchers are looking at whether it can prevent spread of the virus within households, after someone has been exposed but hasn't yet tested positive.

    Merck said Friday is plans to submit an application to the FDA for emergency use authorization as soon as possible, and to other regulatory bodies around the world.

    In anticipation of the trial results, the company said it has been producing molnupiravir at risk, and expects to have 10 million treatment courses available by the end of the year.

    Merck has already sold 1.7 million treatment courses to the US government, if it gets authorization or approval from the FDA. The company said it will offer tiered pricing to provide access around the world, and will work with generic drug manufacturers to speed availability to low- and middle-income countries.

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    An Edmonton man says he was in the wrong place at the wrong time when he was injured by members of the Edmonton Police Service last year.

    BREAKING

    BREAKING

    The brother of a 27-year-old man who was fatally shot in Scarborough over the weekend has been arrested and charged in connection with his death, say police.

    Canada

    • Ontario's police watchdog has decided there are no grounds to believe Sudbury police committed a crime during a difficult arrest in May where the suspect's neck was broken.

    • The City of Calgary ended water restrictions for the city at a Sunday morning update.

    • BREAKING

      BREAKING

      The brother of a 27-year-old man who was fatally shot in Scarborough over the weekend has been arrested and charged in connection with his death, say police.

    • A man is facing numerous drug trafficking charges after Dufferin OPP seized a large assortment of drugs and weapons in Orangeville earlier this week.

    • Pasquale Monaco says he’s debating whether to keep renting out the two-bedroom basement apartment of the Montreal building he owns after it was flooded — again — in August, when the remnants of tropical storm Debby sent four feet of water rushing into the space.

    • Infectious disease physician Dr. Isaac Bogoch says whooping cough is most risky for unvaccinated infants, children and older people.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    • The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have a nickname for the opposition’s end zone. They refer to it as the “chicken box.â€

    • Jonathan Aranda homered for the second consecutive game, helping Taj Bradley and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-2 on Saturday.

    • Kiefer Sherwood spent several nights last spring chasing Quinn Hughes around the ice and generally pestering the Vancouver Canucks.

    Autos

    Local Spotlight

    Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

    Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

    An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

    They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

    A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

    Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

    The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

    The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

    It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

    • One man is dead and another injured after a shooting in Langley Saturday evening that homicide investigators say is gang-related.

    • Anyone needing emergency care in a city in B.C.’s southern Interior will need to seek help elsewhere until Monday, as the latest ER closure in the region has shuttered the department’s doors for 25 hours.

    • The two top contenders in British Columbia's provincial election dove deep into the various issues plaguing the Metro Vancouver area on Sunday, in some cases hearing directly from those most affected.

    • BREAKING

      BREAKING

      The brother of a 27-year-old man who was fatally shot in Scarborough over the weekend has been arrested and charged in connection with his death, say police.

    • Roads have reopened near Union Station following a suspicious package investigation on Sunday afternoon.

    • Toronto police have arrested three people and they are looking for two others in connection with an alleged fraud that saw a man and his daughter bilked out of more than $18,000.

    • The City of Calgary ended water restrictions for the city at a Sunday morning update.

    • Nearly 100 Inglewood residents rallied Saturday afternoon in a continuing effort to save the Inglewood Aquatic Centre.

    • Nick Kolomyja reckons axe throwing may have saved his life.

    • With CTV broadcasting NFL football games on Sundays this season, Â鶹´«Ã½ at Six with Austin Lee will be broadcasting live on our website and the Â鶹´«Ã½ App.

    • Thousands participated in the 17th annual Canada Army Run Sunday in the capital's downtown.

    • A local vendors market with a Taylor Swift theme took place this Sunday in Ottawa.

    • Provincial police (SQ) are looking for 29-year-old Kelsey Watt, who went missing in Hemmingford, Que.

    • Nearly 15,000 runners pounded the pavement on Sunday in the 32nd edition of Montreal’s Bereva Marathon.

    • Â鶹´«Ã½ Montreal at Six for Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024 with anchor Matt Gilmour.

    • An Edmonton man says he was in the wrong place at the wrong time when he was injured by members of the Edmonton Police Service last year.

    • One person is dead after an early morning crash in west Edmonton.

    • Dovercourt residents gathered on Sunday to protest a new Hope Mission shelter that will soon open in an old warehouse near Yellowhead Trail and 149 Street.

    • Saint John Theatre Company’s “Waiting for Godot†stars former "Corner Gas" star Eric Peterson, and R.H. Thomson, known for his role in "Anne with an E."

    • A 76-year-old man who was reported missing Saturday in Annapolis District, N.S., has been found deceased.

    • Manitoba RCMP and community members are still feverishly searching for a six-year-old boy who went missing five days ago.

    • Winnipeg police called in the bomb unit Saturday night after a suspicious item was found in a Centennial neighbourhood back lane.

    • While slang may come and go, experts say the phenomenon behind them, which constantly churns out brand-new bon mots, is as old as language itself.

    • Fire officials are investigating after a fire completely destroyed the community fridge in the Cathedral neighbourhood.

    • The last two months after losing her daughter Bella have been extremely difficult for Kyla Thomson.

    • Regina police arrested three youths in connection to a bear mace incident at a Regina high school on Friday.

    • Brantford, Ont. residents were met with an unexpected sight on Saturday evening as a suspected funnel cloud appeared in the skies above the city.

    • Police were called to a business in the area of University Avenue East and Weber Street North at around 10:40 p.m. Saturday for a report of a man attempting to stab another man.

    • Police said the pedestrian, a 52-year-old man, was taken to an out-of-region hospital with life-threatening injuries and the driver of the vehicle failed to remain at the scene.

    • A 14-year-old girl from Flying Dust First Nation was killed after a high-speed ATV struck a ditch near Meadow Lake.

    • The 75-year-old building, formerly the Waskesiu Chamber of Commerce building, was relocated to the Parks Canada compound on the edge of the townsite.

    • A 53-year-old woman from north Vancouver, B.C. was killed after a semi and truck collided on Highway 16 near Dafoe.

    • There were no injuries reported after a home on Regent Street near Douglas Street in Greater Sudbury’s west end on Sunday morning.

    • Ontario’s police watchdog is investigating after an Ontario Provincial Police officer discharged his firearm at a 36-year-old man in near Moonbeam, Ont., on Friday night.

    • Wage increases, new paid holidays and a big signing bonus are part of the new contract for CAMI employees in Ingersoll, Ont.

    • video

      video

      The most popular hockey podcasters on the planet brought some major attention to the Forest City this weekend with the annual Chiclets Cup.

    • The identity of a motorcyclist has been revealed by loved ones on social media following Friday’s fatal south end collision in London. The London Police Service has not released anything regarding the driver’s identity.

    • One man is in police custody after fabricating a story to police and reporting his vehicle was stolen.

    • Fire crews worked to extinguish a fire at a tent encampment in Barrie on Sunday.

    • A year after being recognized as one of 19 ‘Bee Campuses’ by Bee City Canada, Georgian College continues to promote the importance of bees to agriculture, the economy and education.

    • Essex-Windsor Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is reporting that it’s above the provincial target for sudden cardiac arrest response times.

    • video

      video

      The Amherstburg Uncommon Festival is living up to its name with the addition of a drone light show — a first for Essex County.

    • The St. Clair College Saints were in Oshawa over the weekend as they faced Durham College.

    • Work crews have been busy in the British Columbia legislature over the summer, prying apart desks in the historic chamber and piling them up in hallways as they tried to work out how to fit in six more seats.

    • The two top contenders in British Columbia's provincial election dove deep into the various issues plaguing the Metro Vancouver area on Sunday, in some cases hearing directly from those most affected.

    • A Victoria woman is now $1 million richer after winning a Maxmillions prize on a recent Lotto Max Draw.

    • A pair of runaway pigs are in the custody of an animal sanctuary in the Okanagan after evading police and volunteers for hours earlier this week.

    • The Red Bridge, a historic landmark in Kamloops, B.C., was completely destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.

    • Animal protection officers in British Columbia have rescued three pit bulls – including one that gave birth to 10 puppies – from a rat-infested home in Kelowna.

    • Despite the heavy rain, plenty of muscle turned up for United Way’s annual Pull the Bus fundraiser in Lethbridge Friday.

    • Lethbridge County has rescinded its fire restriction as a result of the recent cool, wet weathr.

    • The Lethbridge Hurricanes kicked off the 2024-25 season on a winning note Friday night, defeating the Edmonton Oil Kings 3-1 in a game played at VisitLethbridge.com Arena.

    • The Royal Canadian Mint has introduced its latest Gold Maple Leaf bullion coin – made entirely from gold sourced from a single mine in northern Ontario

    • A northern Ontario man is facing a $12,000 fine after illegally shooting a moose near the Batchawan River.

    • Following an outbreak of COVID-19 on its continuing care floor and just ahead of the flu season, St. Joseph’s General Hospital in Elliot Lake has opted to re-introduce a universal masking policy until further notice.

    N.L.

    Shopping Trends

    The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at Â鶹´«Ã½. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.

    Stay Connected
    Follow Â鶹´«Ã½