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EU is reviewing approval of corona drug in a fast-track process

2021-10-25T15:37:43.837Z


The search for a drug to treat corona is progressing. In Europe, the approval of a drug is being examined by Merck.


The search for a drug to treat corona is progressing.

In Europe, the approval of a drug is being examined by Merck.

Amsterdam - The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is reviewing the approval of a drug for the treatment of Corona *.

The EU authority announced this on Monday (25.10.2021).

The drug is molnupiravir, which was developed by Merck Sharp & Dohme.

What can the drug do and how does the testing process work?

As early as the beginning of October, the corona drug achieved results in a study that gave reason for optimism.

Of 385 patients with Covid-19 symptoms who were given molnupiravir, 7.3 percent were hospitalized.

In the 377 patients who received a placebo, this value was almost twice as high at 14.1 percent.

In addition, there were eight deaths in the placebo group compared to zero in those who took the drug.

Corona drug from Merck: Approval in Europe to be checked quickly

Based on these results, the company Merck Sharp & Dome has already applied for emergency approval for the corona drug in the USA *.

The current report from the EMA therefore does not come as a surprise, but the type of test could be a reason for hope, as the authority is relying on an accelerating procedure.

+

The drug molnupiravir from Merck could protect against severe corona courses.

The EMA has initiated an examination procedure.

© Merck & Co, Inc. / Afp

The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), which is responsible in the EMA for testing the new anti-coronavirus agent, uses the so-called rolling review process.

In doing so, the committee examines effectiveness data as it becomes available, rather than starting when all the documents are in place.

Despite this procedure, the EMA does not want to commit itself to a schedule with regard to a possible approval.

Europe: Several drugs against corona are being examined

Various corporations around the world are currently working on drugs against the coronavirus.

Molnupiravir, which was originally developed to treat the flu, has shown great promise because it can be taken as a pill.

Other agents, however, must be administered intravenously.

This also applies to the only corona drug approved to date: Remdesivir was conditionally approved by the EMA in 2020, but in the same year the World Health Organization spoke out against the use of the agent.

In addition to molnupiravir, three other drugs are currently being investigated by the EMA in rolling reviews.

(vbu / afp)

* fr.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.

List of rubric lists: © Merck & Co, Inc. / Afp

Source: merkur

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