Doctors at a Scientific Seminar said Molnupiravir can reduce hospitalisation and death up to 50 per cent patients with mild to moderate Covid-19 terming it can be a ‘Game Changer’ in Covid-19 treatment.
Beximco Pharmaceuticals organised the scientific seminar titled “Current Scenario on Covid-19” where esteemed doctors of the country were present, said a media statement on Tuesday.
The programme was chaired by Professor Billal Alam, President, Bangladesh Society of Medicine while Prof ABM Abdullah, the personal Physician to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, was the guest of honour.
Prof Ahmedul Kabir, Additional DG, DGHS, & Secretary-General of Bangladesh Society of Medicine gave the welcome address.
Molnupiravir is the world’s first oral antiviral to treat mild to moderate cases of Covid-19, which was approved by the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (UK-MHRA) on November 4, 2021. Molnupiravir is currently under review by several other regulatory authorities, including the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the United States Food and Drug Administration (US-FDA).
As an oral treatment, Molnupiravir can be taken at home which has the potential to have a significant impact on the treatment paradigm for Covid-19. For instance, it may reduce the need for infected patients to visit medical facilities, therefore also reducing the risk of infecting others. Data published by Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. suggest that it may cut the risk of hospitalization and death by half, with 7.3 per cent of Molnupiravir patients hospitalised after 29 days compared to 14.1 per cent of patients who were treated with placebo. Molnupiravir works by interfering with the replication of the virus. This prevents it from multiplying, keeping virus levels low in the body and therefore reducing the severity of the disease.
With the launch of Emorivir-a branded generic version of Molnupiravir, Beximco Pharma is helping to broaden access and reduce cost of this potentially life-saving treatment option, which could bring significant benefits to mass people, said the statement.
Doctors have highly appreciated Beximco Pharma for their efforts to launch this time-demanding therapy for Covid-19. They also thanked Beximco Pharma for keeping the cost of Molnupiravir in most affordable price, it added.
