Hongkong is in the process of procuring the world’s first COVID-19 pill in which they claimed to cut down hospitalizations and deaths by half.

In a Twitter post, the pharmaceutical giant Merck (also known as MSD outside the U.S. and Canada) and its Ridgeback Biotherapeutics announced on Friday, October 1, their interim data for Phase 3 of the development of COVID-19 treatment pill, called Molnupiravir.

Today we announced positive interim data for our investigational #COVID19 #antiviral treatment. Learn more about our latest news: https://t.co/v1DDAa4RjN $MRK pic.twitter.com/na2O4Y5N3D

— Merck (@Merck) October 1, 2021

Merck confidently disclosed that based on the interim analysis, Molnupiravir reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.

According to the trials conducted, 775 total adults were initially enrolled in Phase 3 MOVe-OUT trial on or prior to Aug. 5, 2021. All patients had laboratory-confirmed mild-to-moderate COVID-19, with symptom onset within 5 days of study randomization and deemed to have health problems such as obesity, diabetes, or heart disease.

Half of the patients were given a five-day course of the experimental drug in the form of brown capsules taken twice a day while the remaining received a placebo.

All of them were monitored for almost a month and in accordance with the results, 7.3% or only 28 patients who took the Molnupiravir were hospitalized, while in the case of the placebo-treated patients 14.1% or a total of 53 of them were brought in the hospital.

Fortunately, no deaths were reported in patients who received Molnupiravir, as compared to 8 deaths in patients who received placebo.

With the findings acquired by Merck with the Molnupiravir, they planned on submitting an application for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to the U.S. FDA as soon as possible.

“With these compelling results, we are optimistic that Molnupiravir can become an important medicine as part of the global effort to fight the pandemic and will add to Merck’s unique legacy of bringing forward breakthroughs in infectious diseases when they are needed most,” said Robert M. Davis, chief executive officer and president, Merck on their official website.

Wendy Holman, chief executive officer of Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, also shared the same sentiments with Davis. “We are very encouraged by the results from the interim analysis and hope Molnupiravir, if authorized for use, can make a profound impact in controlling the pandemic,” she shared.

Both CEOs expressed their deepest appreciation and gratitude to all clinical investigators and patients for their essential contributions to the development of Molnupiravir.

Source: http://merck.us/2WsGIuo, https://twitter.com/Merck