Two corona hopes from the USA - the two drugs can do that

Created: 12/25/2021, 06:02 AM

From: Yasina Hipp

The corona pandemic continues to have a firm grip on the world.

The virus is fought daily in the intensive care units - but new drugs could improve the situation.

Munich - So far, the motto to contain the coronavirus has been vaccinate, vaccinate and re-vaccinate.

Contact restrictions and hygiene measures supplement the catalog of measures in the fight against the virus.

Until now, however, the hospitals lacked an effective drug to effectively help the sick.

That could change soon.

The drugs paxlovid and molnupiravir have already been approved in the USA and Great Britain.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is currently reviewing and evaluating both vaccines, the Ministry of Health announced.

Corona drug Paxlovid: administration as a pill

The corona drug Paxlovid was approved in the USA in a fast-track process for high-risk patients from the age of twelve.

The American Medicines Agency (FDA) stated: "This approval brings a new tool to fight Covid-19 at a crucial point in the pandemic with the appearance of new variants."

According to findings from the USA, the corona pill Paxlovid from the US company Pfizer reduces the risk of hospitalization or death by 88 percent.

The drug combines the new active ingredient nirmatrelvir with the drug ritonavir.

Ritonavir is used to treat people with HIV.

Paxlovid is an antiviral agent that uses a so-called protease inhibitor to prevent the virus from reproducing in the body.

Corona drug Molnupiravir: "Additional treatment option"

Molnupiravir is also an antiviral drug.

The FDA also granted this drug from the US company MSD emergency approval for high-risk patients aged 18 and over.

In Europe, molnupiravir is known as Lagevrio.

In contrast to paxlovid, molnupiravir reduces the risk of hospitalization and the risk of fatal disease.

It is only 30 percent.

A representative of the American Medicines Agency describes the drug as an "additional treatment option".

The active ingredient from Pfizer's competitor has already been approved in Great Britain and Denmark and is also administered in pill form.

Molnupiravir is only approved for people aged 18 and over, as it can negatively affect the growth of bones and cartilage.

• Corona drugs

• Paxlovid (manufacturer Pfizer):

  Antiviral agent, 88 percent reduction in the risk of hospital admissions and fatal courses, pill form, combination with known HIV drug, approval from the age of twelve

• Molnupiravir / Lagevrio (manufacturer MSD):

  Antiviral agent, reduction of the risk of hospital admissions and fatal courses by 30 percent, pill form, approval from 18 years of age

• Remdesivir (manufacturer Gilead Sciences):

  Antiviral agent, already approved in the EU, intravenous administration

Corona drug Remdesivir: Already approved in the EU

The drug Remdesivir, which is already approved in the EU, also has an antiviral effect. However, it must be administered intravenously. For this reason, among other things, remdesivir is considered to be less suitable for everyday use. As Christian Karagiannidis, head of the intensive care register of the German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive and Emergency Medicine (Divi) told

, remdesivir has only a "minor role" in therapy.

According to a spokesman for the Ministry of Health, the federal government is endeavoring to obtain the drugs quickly.

He emphasized that one was already in negotiations with the manufacturers "in order to secure contingents for Germany and to make them available for supply in a timely manner".

In Germany, the drugs should then also be used primarily in high-risk patients.

At the moment, however, EMA approval is still missing.

Corona drugs: Research in Germany too

The development of corona drugs is also being promoted in Germany.

According to the

, the

Federal Research Ministry announced

that it had provided 24.3 million euros for three new research projects.

The funds flow into the companies Proteo Biotech AG in Kiel, Rnatics GmbH in Munich and Evotec International GmbH in Göttingen.