US pharmaceutical company MSD will ask for permission for emergency use of antiviral drug Molnupiravir for the treatment of coronavirus disease. This was announced on Friday, October 1, by the press service of the company.. It is noted that these pills reduce the risk of hospitalization by 50%.. So, during the third stage of clinical trials, only 7.3% of patients taking Molnupiravir required hospitalization. None of them died. In the placebo group, the hospital admission rate was twice as high - 14.1%. Eight people died. Studies have shown the drug is effective against all strains of COVID-19, including the currently dominant Delta variant.. All study participants were unvaccinated and had at least one co-morbidity (obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease), which increased their chances of developing a more severe form of COVID-19, or they were over 60 years old. The study was conducted in 170 countries of the world. The company said it plans to apply for an emergency use authorization with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as soon as possible.. If approved, Molnupiravir could become the first oral antiviral treatment for COVID-19, MSD said in a statement.. The pharmaceutical manufacturer said it plans to release 10 million packs of the drug by the end of 2021, with additional doses expected in 2022.. Molnupiravir was first developed as a prophylactic agent and as a drug for the treatment of SARS-CoV and MERS infections in the early 2000s. It was previously found to act against many viruses containing RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, which SARS-CoV also has. Earlier it was reported that Pfizer is testing pills to prevent COVID-19. The first clinical studies of the drug have shown that it is safe and well tolerated.. In the spring, the company announced that it plans to release tablets on sale by the end of the year.. News from in Telegram. Subscribe to our channel https: // t. me / korrespondentnet Author: 1.