Science wins. COVID-19 deaths/hospitalizations could soon be rare... no vaccine required.

[WarGamer]

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/mercks-covid-19-pill-cuts-risk-death-hospitalization-by-50-study-2021-10-01/

Oct 1 (Reuters) - An 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 it gets authorization, molnupiravir, which is designed to introduce errors into the genetic code of the virus, would be the first oral antiviral medication for COVID-19.

Merck and partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics said they plan to seek U.S. emergency use authorization for the pill as soon as possible and to make regulatory applications worldwide.

"An oral antiviral that can impact hospitalization risk to such a degree would be game changing," said Amesh Adalja, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.


Note: read the article. The clinical studies are so successful they've been requested to stop the trials and go straight to approval under emergency use.

Basically... it's Tamiflu for C19.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. It certainly sounds great right now.

Let's hope that this promise is one that can be kept.

[WarGamer]

2. over 5 million Global dead... this would be HUGE.

[PortTack]

3. Science always wins!! Really good news

[SergeStorms]

54. But how much will...

BIG PHARMA charge for this "miracle" drug?

I imagine it will be around $5 Canadian, and $500,000 in the U.S. It's that exchange rate, you know?

You can't put a price on human life, but this will give the anti-vax people another reason not to get vaccinated.

[mindfulNJ]

4. I predict

that the nut-job anti vaxxer conspiracy theorists will refuse this too.

[iemanja]

6. Yep

They'll stick with their horse dewormer.

[lagomorph777]

23. Fine.

They can drink their Clorox or alien blood or whatever.

We'll be watching the demographic needle move.

[Grokenstein]

34. "ECKS PERRY MENTAL"??2??

"No way, I'm not taking that! SHAKE UP WEEPLE! It's an Illuminati plot to depopulate the nation and leave us vulnerable to takeover!! BOOGA BOOGA BOO!!"

[Maru Kitteh]

66. Omygrd they're all from Montana lately.

[Rebl2]

41. Of course

they will

[onetexan]

47. Let them suffer the consequences of their stupidity

[paleotn]

48. Hey, whatever.

[calimary]

56. Fine with me.

[Ftrump]

60. They won't even have to work too hard on this one, they'll spin the drug's mechanism of action

so the dis-informed will believe molnupiravir was designed to introduce errors in the genetic code of people

[NightWatcher]

5. I'm going to do my own research, thanks.

[ejbr]

24. Lol n/t

[hibbing]

43. hehe

[Irish_Dem]

7. Will the anti-vaxxers accept this pill?

Or will they treat it like masks and the vaccine?

[tinrobot]

27. Only if they can wash it down with bleach.

[Irish_Dem]

35. They are hell bent on killing themselves, aren't they?

[paleotn]

51. Honestly, I really don't care.

[wnylib]

53. It sounds like a scientific breakthrough

Last edited Fri Oct 1, 2021, 11:21 PM - Edit history (1)

in treating viruses. I am a strong supporter of vaccines, masks, and other precautions. I am not anti science. But I do have some reservations about this pill. If I were sick with covid I would probably take it if offered. But since this pill works by introducing viral mutations to gum up the process of the coronavirus self-replications, I wonder what the long term effects could be of the mutations. They are supposed to act like reproduction inhibitors, but can the mutated virus particles develop their own strength by merging?

Cancer is closely related to viruses. We know now, for example, that cervical cancer is caused by a virus.

This pill looks promising and I'd love to see it work safely. The concept of its mechanism might be useful in other diseases, too. I just feel a bit cautious.

[Jirel]

8. WHOA there!

Yes, it's Tamiflu for COVID. But a 50% reduction is hardly making COVID hospitalizations and deaths preventable with a pill. They are improving their chances far more with a vaccine. But, yes, the new medications (several companies are in testing) are a big win.

Just wait. The next big conspiracy theory is that lizard people are candy-coating their eggs to hatch in the unsuspecting stomachs of anyone who takes this Merck medication...

[WarGamer]

12. Still really early but 0 deaths in trials while the placebo group had 8 deaths

[NickB79]

21. Exactly. We're seeing 2,000 dead each day

Halve that and you're still losing 1,000 a day.

Vaccines are still vitally important.

[eppur_se_muova]

38. Grammar Nazi salute ! nt

[Hav]

31. Agreed,

anything that helps reduce hospitalization is welcome but a 50% reduction won't make it rare.

[Miguelito Loveless]

9. I am sure that this will not be anywhere as effective

as the next "cure" from the fever swamp, Grape Pez™ soaked in Sterno™.

Accept no substitute. If you can't light your Pez™ on fire and smell grape smoke, it's a libtard counterfeit.

[WarGamer]

15. Rumor has it that the Merck pill is just a mix of ivermectin, HCQ and bleach

[Nevilledog]

20. Even better......Merck also makes Ivermectin.

[Grokenstein]

39. Which is why it's so hilarious

that idiot cartoonist Ben Garrison claims eating horse paste "sticks it to Big Pharma." He thinks Dr. Fauci is "Big Pharma."

He also claimed he and his wife caught COVID despite their daily regimen of beet juice, zinc and prayer. A couple of days ago he declared himself fully recovered (link trigger warning: sampling of utterly bonkers Garrison toons) with "total natural immunity" thanks to God's "healing protection." You can actually smell the bullshit through the Internet!

[Runningdawg]

10. Nothing I have yet read claims it is a preventative.

It's a treatment that won't require leaving your home to take.

[WarGamer]

11. in the trials, zero deaths.

But 8 deaths in the placebo group.

This isn't "official" yes it's still early... but looks damn good.

[luvtheGWN]

59. Yes, a preventative.

According to a scientist on CNN, timing is imperative. Must be taken as soon as possible after initial infection.

It does NOT take the place of the vaccine.

[Runningdawg]

63. If it were a preventative you would take it BEFORE infection. It's not.

[luvtheGWN]

67. You are almost correct, but

it's a preventative in that it prevents you from becoming seriously ill and hospitalized. and that is the point of it.

[bluewater]

13. Costs vs Vaccine Costs?

[Hav]

28. According to the article it's 700 for the pill treatment

Maybe this price contains help to get the new drug on the way. The numbers for the vaccine I saw were around 20$.

[WarGamer]

32. But the pill is only given to people who need it...

Ones with a positive test and at least one pre-existing condition.

It is a fraction of the price of the vaccination effort.

And combine BOTH a vaccinated public AND an effective therapeutic and we're gonna' beat this thing.

[crimycarny]

55. Yep--and immunocompromised now have a weapon

Since those who are immunocompromised often can't build up a strong enough immune response from the vaccine, having an effective antiviral is key to their surviving COVID.

I hoping this antiviral can also be used prophylactically. I've been keeping my eye on another antiviral in the pipeline which is a joint effort between ATEA Pharma and Roche (Roche is the maker of Tamiflu).

This is good news...

[LanternWaste]

14. Anthropomorphizing science

Science neither wins nor loses any more than an area of vacuum in space feels lonely.

[WarGamer]

16. lol... good one, LW...

[lagomorph777]

25. Why do you think space invented Dark Energy?

[ProfessorGAC]

62. Not What I Heard

I heard dark energy invented space, but then space got snooty & ignores dark energy!

[lagomorph777]

73. These are dark matters.

[Earth-shine]

17. I'll bet these pills are the perfect size to hide the Bill Gates microchips.

[progressoid]

36. Exactly!!11!

If you sheep wanna stick that stuff in your body go ahead. I'm going with more safe things like ivermectin and bleach!

[PSPS]

18. Don't pop the cork just yet

On the NPR piece about this, they said that Merck says there is a chance of "genetic mutations" with molnupiravir. So, while it may be useful as a palliative, it falls far short when comparing it to the vaccines.

[WarGamer]

19. Hopefully we'll see soon...

from Reuters: (note the sloppy typo I corrected re: pregnancy)

Merck has said data shows molnupiravir is *not capable* of inducing genetic changes in human cells, but men enrolled in its trials had to abstain from heterosexual intercourse or agree to use contraception. Women of child-bearing age in the study could (not?) be pregnant and also had to use birth control.

[zaj]

22. Watch MAGA race to "introduce errors into the genetic code"

That is some comically devious language that they are going to love ignoring as they celebrate this anti-vaxx cure!

[lagomorph777]

26. I heard they are embedding the DaVinci Code into the genetic code.

The vaccine is turning people into Rosicrucians.

[Danascot]

40. A few errors in their genetic code

might be an improvement.

[IronLionZion]

29. Nice try Merck. We know they make Ivermectin which is much cheaper

Deplorables probably won't trust it because "designed to introduce errors into the genetic code" to turn humans into zombies or something.

[Jakes Progress]

30. World changing if so. No refrigeration or technicians.

Send millions of pills to India and Africa.

[relayerbob]

33. Ah, that's much, more space for the microchips

The vaccine ones were tiny, didn't last long with the little batteries. Hard to get good reception with antennas so small.

This will be like upgrading to a supercomputer. Gates and Soros will be soooo happy

[Hav]

37. "no vaccine required"

It seems to be a very welcome treatment once you get infected but it shouldn't be seen as a replacement for the vaccine.

[EleanorR]

50. Thank you. We should not in any way be discouraging people from getting vaxed NT

[beaglelover]

42. This is such awesome news! There is a huge light at the end of the tunnel and I can see

our maskless future from here!!!!!!! Yippee!!!!

[Mr. Ected]

44. Sadly, this was in the news several months ago. They even targeted end of 2021 for release.

The news we receive regarding the advancement of science in the pursuit of taming COVID seems to be incomplete at times.

[Stargleamer]

45. Why can't they have a vaccine that "introduces errors into the AIDS virus"?

It seems possible; AIDS virus has remained a hard nut to crack

[dawg]

52. It's a more difficult virus than Covid.

They are trying.

[BlueIdaho]

46. Better check the price first.

If it’s anything like the Harvoni I took to beat Hepatitis C virus - it could be $1,000 a pill. I’m grateful I was finally able to beat that disease but it was a $90,000+ treatment which my insurance company did not cover.

[Crunchy Frog]

69. You can get it for a few hundred $ from India.

[BlueIdaho]

72. Now you can...

It’s an older treatment that’s not the drug du jour. I was taking at when it was the only cure available. Then you could fly to India, get diagnosed, pay for the Rx and save half. No one was shipping from India to the states back then.

I’m grateful costs are going down for anti-viral drugs - just don’t expect the first Covid anti-viral to be cheap. This is a capitalist healthcare system.

[dawg]

49. The expectation is for a 50% reduction in deaths from this treatment.

Last edited Fri Oct 1, 2021, 06:21 PM - Edit history (1)

That's excellent, but vaccines are still needed and they will remain the most critical part of the overall response to the pandemic.

For every 100 lives the Merck treatment saves, there may be another 100 who will still die.

[StarryNite]

61. Exactly

[CCExile]

57. The picture I saw of these pills showed them as small and brown.

Conservatives will think they are mooslim or messican, so they possibly won't take them. However, they DO have Merck on them, just like Amercka8, so maybe they will. They'd still have more faith in them if they were white.

[Aussie105]

58. Hospital only drug, I'd say.

Another tool for hospitals to use in helping Covid victims to survive.

Don't expect to see it on the shelves of Supermarkets or drug stores for home treatment.

Needs approval first, then mass production and distribution.

Definitely NOT a replacement for vaccinations.

[Crunchy Frog]

70. No. It's for use ASAP after + test.

Has to be taken within the first few days of infection. By the time someone is in the hospital it's probably too late for it to do any good.

Still not a substitute for vaccination, but should at least keep a lot of antivaxxers from clogging up the hospitals.

[Azathoth]

64. Honestly, that drug sounds like what the anti-vaxxers accuse the vaccines of being

It's designed not to inhibit viral replication but to introduce random viral RNA replication errors. While most of the time that leads to increasingly impaired/sterile virus copies, it also strikes me as increasing the liklihood of an accidental fitness-enhancing mutation.

Not to mention the drug belongs to a class of drugs that are known to be mutagenic.

Honestly, I'd be more comfortable with the vaccine.

[DET]

65. Not So Fast

The anti-vaxxers won’t take this pill once they hear the words “genetic mutations”. I can hear the conspiracy theories now. Plus, they’ll insist on receiving the most costly antiviral, which is probably Remdisavir. Of course, they have no intention of paying for any of this.

[Crunchy Frog]

71. They think Remdesivir is killing them.

They want their hydroxychloroquine and horse paste.

They'll probably take this though, as panic tends to set in once they test positive.

It should provide plenty of interesting sociological observations though.

[Steelrolled]

68. I'll admit the phrase "introduce errors into the genetic code of the virus"

sounds more frightening than anything I have read about the vaccines. On the other hand, you only take this if you have already gotten COVID-19, so you are more likely to say "damn the generic errors, let me have it!"

[lagomorph777]

74. Ummm, no, Reuters/Tass. The pill doesn't stop the spread, you idiots.

The vaccine reduces spread by reducing the likelihood that you'll become significantly infected. The pill is only given after you're showing symptoms and spreading the plague.

Clever new spin on Putin/Trump's antivaxx theme.