‘Don’t give mollupiravir…’: WHO issues new guidelines on Merck’s COVID drug

According to the global health body, molnupiravir should only be provided to “non-severe COVID-19 patients” with the highest risk of hospitalization. Patients who fall in this category are those who have not received the COVID-19 vaccination, older people, people with immunodeficiency and people suffering from chronic diseases such as diabetes.

as it is a new drugWHO recommends active surveillance for drug safety, along with other strategies to reduce potential harm.

“The drug should not be given to children, pregnant and lactating women. People who take molanupiravir must have a contraceptive plan. Health systems should ensure access to pregnancy tests and contraceptives at the point of care,” WHO said Is.

The WHO has also updated its recommendation on a monoclonal antibody cocktail, casirivimab-imdevimab.

“Based on the evidence that this combination of drugs is ineffective against Omicron, WHO now recommends that it be given only if the COVID-19 infection is caused by another type,” WHO said.

Molnupiravir has ‘major security concerns’: Center

In January the government had not even added the coronavirus pill to its national treatment protocol for the disease due to some “major safety concerns”, the head of the state-run Indian Council of Medical Research, Balram Bhargava, clarified. “We have to remember that this drug has major safety concerns… so it has not been included in the National Task Force Treatment,” Bhargava said.

Last year, Dr Reddy’s entered into a non-exclusive voluntary licensing agreement with MSD to manufacture and supply Molnupiravir to India and over 100 low and middle income countries (LMICs).

What is Mulnupiravir?

According to the Union Health Ministry, Molnupiravir is an antiviral drug that inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication by viral mutagenesis.

This anti-Covid pill got the approval of the Drug Regulatory General of India (DRGI) on 28 December for restricted use in emergency. Mutagenesis is a process by which the genetic information of an organism is changed by the production of a mutation.

The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency on 4 December approved Molnupiravir under specific conditions for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 in adults.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) on 23 December granted emergency use authorization for the drug to treat mild to moderate COVID-19 in adults.

with PTI input