The findings reported on a secondary objective to reduce time to negative test result of infectious SARS-CoV-2 virus in individuals with symptomatic COVID-19. UNC School of Medicine’s William Fischer, MD, is the lead investigator on the study of Molnupiravir, the investigational drug also known as EIDD-2801.
Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics announced preliminary results from Ridgeback’s Phase 2a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and efficacy to eliminate SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA of molnupiravir (EIDD-2801/MK-4482), an investigational oral antiviral agent.
The companies today reported findings on one secondary objective from the Phase 2a study, showing a reduction in time (days) to negativity of infectious virus isolation in nasopharyngeal swabs from participants with symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection. Findings from the primary efficacy and safety endpoints and additional secondary objectives will be presented at an upcoming medical meeting.
“The secondary objective findings in this study, of a quicker decrease in infectious virus among individuals with early COVID-19 treated with molnupiravir, are promising and if supported by additional studies, could have important public health implications, particularly as the SARS-CoV-2 virus continues to spread and evolve globally,” said William Fischer, MD, lead investigator of the EIDD-2801 2003 study and associate professor in the UNC Division of Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine.
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