American pharmaceutical company Merck has announced that the experimental Covid-19 drug has been determined to be less effective in reducing hospitalizations and deaths than previously reported.
In an updated data release Friday from Merck, the Covid-19 pill reportedly reduced hospitalizations and deaths by 30 percent, according to data from 1,400 patients. The firm recorded in October that data from 775 patients was 50 percent effective in reducing hospitalizations and deaths.
Merck released the latest data before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a series of documents on Friday to inform a group of independent experts that will meet on Tuesday to consider whether to recommend licensing the drug.
FDA officials did not make their own recommendations regarding the licensing of Merck’s drug.
Instead, the FDA asked the independent committee to consider whether the benefits of the drug outweigh the risks and determine whether the drug should be restricted for whom it is licensed.
The FDA also asked the independent committee to address concerns about whether the drug might induce the virus to mutate, and how to address those concerns.
Merck shares fell 2.8 percent to $80 before the market open.
Molnupiravir developed by Merck and Covid-19 drug developed by competitor Pfizer were defined as elements that will change the balance in the fight against the pandemic, as it can be taken at home at the early stage of infection in order to prevent hospitalization and deaths.
After the analysis of a study with 1200 participants, data from Pfizer on the Covid-19 pill indicated that hospitalizations and deaths due to Corona virus infection were prevented by 89 percent.
On October 11, Merck submitted an application to the US Food and Drug Administration to license molnupiravir following preliminary data.
In a statement made by the company on Friday, it was reported that data on the drug, which was co-developed with biotechnology firm Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, was submitted to the institution before the FDA meeting.
According to the updated data, the hospitalization and death rate of the study group receiving molnupiravir was 6.8 percent. The hospitalization and death rate in the placebo group was 9.7 percent. It was stated that one person died in the group receiving molnupiravir, while nine people died in the placebo group.