Almost a thousand patients have received the antiviral pill Molnupiravir in Cyprus to date, for treatment of Covid 19, the Deputy Director of Pharmaceutical Services of the Ministry of Health, Elena Papanagiotopoulou, told CNA.
According to Dr Panagiotopoulou, Molnupiravir from Merck, known in Europe as MSD, has so far been administered to 984 patients, with 7 per cent eventually ending up in hospital.
However, she noted no deaths have been observed following the administration of this drug, nor has there been any report of an adverse side effect in Cyprus.
With regard to the efficacy of Molnupiravir, Elena Panagiotopoulou said that no safe conclusions can be drawn.
She explained that in order to draw safe conclusions about the effectiveness of this particular antiviral pill, an equal number of people would have to take a placebo and see how many of them would end up in hospital.
"We don't know from the people who would take the placebo how many of them would end up in hospital. So it is risky to draw any conclusion," she said specifically."
"It is better to have it than not to have it," she said
[BR][BR]However, the Deputy Director of Pharmaceutical Services stressed that Molnupiravir "is a drug that is better to have than not to have, especially the population groups that need it.
She also highlighted the fact that no side effects occurred and no death was recorded in Cyprus after administration of Molnupiravir, to note that no other country has so far recorded a death from the administration of Molnupiravir.
Proven efficacy in reducing hospitalisations and/or deaths by 30%, studies report
According to the studies conducted, Molnupiravir has shown proven efficacy in reducing hospitalisations and/or deaths by 30%, while specifically in the mortality parameter the reduction reaches 89%.
In addition, Molnupiravir was shown to reduce the risk of serious illness or death in people affected by Covid-19 disease, from 14.1% in people receiving placebo, to 7.3% in people receiving Molnupiravir, from a total of 775 participants.
Source: CNA
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