[Press release – not published yet] Merck announces oral antiviral Molnupiravir reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50 Percent compared to placebo for patients with mild or moderate COVID-19.

Merck and Ridgeback’s Investigational Oral Antiviral Molnupiravir Reduced the Risk of Hospitalization or Death by Approximately 50 Percent Compared to Placebo for Patients with Mild or Moderate COVID-19 in Positive Interim Analysis of Phase 3 Study

Commentaries:

Expert reaction to interim analysis of oral antiviral molnupiravir – Science Media Centre

Merck’s antiviral pill reduces hospitalization of Covid patients, a possible game-changer for treatment – STAT

Covid antiviral pill can halve risk of hospitalization – BBC

Why Merck’s Covid-19 pill molnupiravir could be so important – Vox

‘Unquestionably a game changer!’ Antiviral pill cuts COVID-19 hospitalization risk – Researchers excited about Merck drug, but caution data are preliminary and price is high – Science

Commentaries on Twitter

.@DrEricDing convinced many that stopping the #molnupiravir trial early for benefit was a good idea

But it was NOT

Large body of evidence suggests that stopping early for benefit biases the results: overestimates the benefits of the treatment #EBM https://t.co/b3tHEtliO0 https://t.co/LwuCgqcY0C pic.twitter.com/vyPWc0nd37

— Kari Tikkinen (@KariTikkinen) October 2, 2021

(thread – click for more)

?BREAKING—New oral anti-viral drug *molnupiravir* cuts risk of #COVID19 hospitalization and death **in HALF** in a randomized trial. Results so astounding that the trial is being stopped early, and Merck plans to apply for emergency authorization ASAP. ? https://t.co/g8JGNzvuRg pic.twitter.com/K1SwC3QFXS

— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) October 1, 2021