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04/19/21 9:22 AM

#237804 RE: biocqr #237768

MRK > “molnupiravir as game-changer” story is probably now dead

Merck Keeps Plowing On

https://blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/2021/04/15/merck-keeps-plowing-on

What I’m seeing here is an attempt to do everything possible in the Phase III to find patients in which molnupiravir will actually show a useful effect. That’s fine, but we need to realize what that means: the “molnupiravir as game-changer” story is probably now dead. There was never too much hope for that one from the beginning, honestly – there are no game-changing single-agent antiviral therapies so far, although one could always hope. The only viral diseases we can really beat down with small molecule therapy are those where we have several specifically targeted drugs, mechanistically distinct, that can be administered at the same time. That’s the case with HIV and hepatitis C. So while we could use a broad-spectrum small-molecule antiviral, we have to be prepared for it not being that great for any particular virus.