Molnupiravir

Merck & Co – known as MSD outside of the US and Canada – and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics have initiated a late-stage study to evaluate an investigational oral antiviral COVID-19 drug in adults who are at high risk for disease progression. The phase 3 MOVe-NOW trial of orally-administered Lagevrio (molnupiravir) is enrolling patients who have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection, have had COVID-19 symptoms for four days or less, and are not hospitalised. Patients eligible for the study will also not be able to receive nirmatrelvir/ritonavir due to drug-drug interactions, allergy, previous adverse effects, or inaccessibility, and will be randomised to receive either Lagevrio 800mg or placebo orally every 12 hours for five days. Lagevrio is already available in the US under emergency use authorisation to treat adults with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19 and for whom alternative treatment options are not accessible or clinically appropriate. MOVe-NOW will use a different formulation of the drug that includes two smaller 400mg tablets per dose instead of the currently available four 200mg capsules per dose. Paula Annunziato, senior vice president, infectious diseases and vaccines, global clinical development, Merck Research Laboratories, said: “COVID-19 remains a leading cause of hospitalisation and death around the world, and further studying Lagevrio may provide important insights into how it may be used to help prevent severe outcomes in the current COVID-19 environment. “We continue to believe Lagevrio may be an important option for people with risk factors like older age, multiple comorbidities, and immunocompromising conditions, who are more likely to advance to severe COVID-19, and for whom other antiviral treatments may not be appropriate because of the potential for drug-drug interactions.” The announcement comes just days after Merck shared positive top-line results from a late-stage trial of its pulmonary arterial hypertension therapy Winrevair (sotatercept-csrk). The phase 3 ZENITH study met its primary endpoint, with Winrevair demonstrating a statistically significant and clinically meaningful reduction in the risk of morbidity or mortality events compared to placebo in adults with World Health Organization functional classes three or four at high risk of mortality.

MOVe-NOW will build on existing LAGEVRIO data to assess efficacy in the current COVID-19 environment and support applications for licensure RAHWAY, NJ & MIAMI, FL, USA I December 05, 2024 I Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, today announced the initiation of the Phase 3 MOVe-NOW clinical trial to evaluate LAGEVRIO TM (molnupiravir), an investigational oral antiviral COVID-19 medicine, for the treatment of adults with COVID-19 at high risk for disease progression. This double-blind, placebo-controlled, global study is enrolling individuals who are at least 18 years of age, tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection, have had COVID-19 symptoms for four days or less, and are not hospitalized. Additionally, the study will only enroll adults who cannot receive nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (NMV/r) due to drug-drug interactions, allergy, previous adverse effects, or inaccessibility. The MOVe-NOW study will use a different formulation of LAGEVRIO that includes two smaller 400-mg tablets per dose (four daily tablets) instead of the currently available four 200-mg capsules per dose (eight daily capsules). The smaller tablets are not currently approved for use in any country. For more information on the trial, visit clinicaltrials.gov . “COVID-19 remains a leading cause of hospitalization and death around the world, and further studying LAGEVRIO may provide important insights into how it may be used to help prevent severe outcomes in the current COVID-19 environment,” said Dr. Paula Annunziato, senior vice president, infectious diseases and vaccines, Global Clinical Development, Merck Research Laboratories. “We continue to believe LAGEVRIO may be an important option for people with risk factors like older age, multiple comorbidities, and immunocompromising conditions, who are more likely to advance to severe COVID-19, and for whom other antiviral treatments may not be appropriate because of the potential for drug-drug interactions.” LAGEVRIO is approved or authorized for use in several countries, including Japan, Australia, and available for use in the United States under emergency use authorization, for the treatment of certain adults who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. To date, LAGEVRIO has been used by more than 8.3 million patients worldwide. About the MOVe-NOW Study MOVe-NOW (MK-4482-023, NCT06667700 ) is a Phase 3 multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of orally administered LAGEVRIO compared with placebo in non-hospitalized adults with COVID-19 at high risk for disease progression. The trial is anticipated to enroll approximately 3,082 participants who will be randomized to receive either LAGEVRIO (800 mg) or placebo orally every 12 hours for five days. The study will enroll participants who are at least 18 years of age and have received a positive test for SARS-CoV-2 infection with signs or symptoms attributable to COVID-19 for four days or less and will only enroll adults who cannot receive nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (NMV/r) due to drug-drug interactions, allergy, previous adverse effects, or inaccessibility. The trial is being conducted in 25 markets around the world, including the United States, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, Ukraine, Poland, Mexico, and Colombia, among others. Investigators may decide to treat some study participants with concomitant remdesivir, if available and clinically appropriate per local clinical practice, as local standard of care in addition to LAGEVRIO or placebo. Study investigators should aim to ensure that those who are most vulnerable to severe COVID-19 receive timely access to remdesivir as standard of care. The primary efficacy and safety endpoints of the trial include the percentage of participants who were hospitalized or died for any reason or had a COVID-19-related medically-attended visit through Day 29; the percentage of participants with an adverse event; and the percentage of participants who discontinued LAGEVRIO due to an adverse event. A key secondary endpoint is sustained alleviation without relapse of selected participant-reported COVID-19 signs and symptoms through Day 29. Additional secondary endpoints through Day 29 include evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 viral load, time to sustained resolution without relapse of COVID-19 signs and symptoms, and percentage of participants with clinically important medical interventions associated with a COVID-19-related medically attended visit or hospitalization, or who experienced hospitalization or death due to any cause. The study includes an extended follow up of approximately five and a half months after treatment ends to evaluate endpoints associated with post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC, or long COVID). Development of PASC will be assessed on Day 29 and during the extended follow-up period (i.e., Day 56, Day 112, and Day 168) based on self-reported COVID-19 signs/symptoms. Authorized Use of LAGEVRIO TM (molnupiravir) in the U.S. LAGEVRIO (molnupiravir) is authorized for use under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the treatment of adults with mild-to-moderate coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): LAGEVRIO is not approved for any use, including the treatment of COVID-19, but is authorized for emergency use by the FDA under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). The emergency use of LAGEVRIO is only authorized for the duration of the declaration that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of the emergency use of drugs and biological products during the COVID-19 pandemic under Section 564(b)(1) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360bbb-3(b)(1) unless the declaration is terminated or authorization revoked sooner. Limitations of Authorized Use LAGEVRIO is not authorized: LAGEVRIO may only be prescribed for an individual patient by physicians, advanced practice registered nurses, and physician assistants that are licensed or authorized under state law to prescribe drugs in the therapeutic class to which LAGEVRIO belongs (ie, anti-infectives). Selected Safety Information for LAGEVRIO Contraindications No contraindications have been identified based on the limited available data on the emergency use of LAGEVRIO authorized under this EUA. Warnings and Precautions There are limited clinical data available for LAGEVRIO. Serious and unexpected adverse events may occur that have not been previously reported with LAGEVRIO use. LAGEVRIO is not recommended for use during pregnancy. Based on findings from animal reproduction studies, LAGEVRIO may cause fetal harm when administered to pregnant individuals. There are no available human data on the use of LAGEVRIO in pregnant individuals to evaluate the risk of major birth defects, miscarriage, or adverse maternal or fetal outcomes. LAGEVRIO is authorized to be prescribed to a pregnant individual only after the healthcare provider has determined that the benefits would outweigh the risks for that individual patient. If the decision is made to use LAGEVRIO during pregnancy, the prescribing healthcare provider must document that the known and potential benefits and the potential risks of using LAGEVRIO during pregnancy were communicated to the pregnant individual. There is a pregnancy registry that monitors pregnancy outcomes in individuals exposed to LAGEVRIO during pregnancy. The prescribing healthcare provider must document that a pregnant individual was made aware of the pregnancy registry at https://covid-pr.pregistry.com or 1-800-616-3791. Pregnant individuals exposed to LAGEVRIO or their healthcare providers can also report the exposure by contacting Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ USA at 1-877-888-4231. Advise individuals of childbearing potential of the potential risk to a fetus and to use an effective method of contraception correctly and consistently during treatment with LAGEVRIO and for 4 days after the final dose. Prior to initiating treatment with LAGEVRIO, assess whether an individual of childbearing potential is pregnant or not, if clinically indicated. Hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylaxis, have been reported with LAGEVRIO. If signs and symptoms of a clinically significant hypersensitivity reaction or anaphylaxis occur, immediately discontinue LAGEVRIO and initiate appropriate medications and/or supportive care. LAGEVRIO is not authorized for use in patients less than 18 years of age because it may affect bone and cartilage growth. The safety and efficacy of LAGEVRIO have not been established in pediatric patients. Adverse Reactions The most common adverse reactions occurring in ≥1% of subjects in the LAGEVRIO treatment group in the Phase 3 double-blind MOVe-OUT study were diarrhea (2% versus placebo at 2%), nausea (1% versus placebo at 1%), and dizziness (1% versus placebo at 1%) all of which were Grade 1 (mild) or Grade 2 (moderate). Serious adverse events occurred in 7% of subjects receiving LAGEVRIO and 10% receiving placebo; most serious adverse events were COVID-19 related. Adverse events leading to death occurred in 2 (<1%) of the subjects receiving LAGEVRIO and 12 (2%) of subjects receiving placebo. Drug Interactions No drug interactions have been identified based on the limited available data on the emergency use of LAGEVRIO. No clinical drug-drug interaction trials of LAGEVRIO with concomitant medications, including other treatments for mild-to-moderate COVID-19, have been conducted. Pregnancy/Breastfeeding There are no data on the presence of molnupiravir or its metabolites in human milk. It is unknown whether molnupiravir has an effect on the breastfed infant or effects on milk production. Based on the potential for adverse reactions in the infant from LAGEVRIO, breastfeeding is not recommended during treatment with LAGEVRIO and for 4 days after the final dose. A lactating individual may consider interrupting breastfeeding and may consider pumping and discarding breast milk during treatment and for 4 days after the last dose of LAGEVRIO. Males of Reproductive Potential While the risk is regarded as low, there is a theoretical risk for LAGEVRIO to affect offspring of treated males based on its mechanism of action. Advise sexually active individuals with partners of childbearing potential to use a reliable method of contraception correctly and consistently during treatment and for at least 3 months after the last dose of LAGEVRIO. The risk beyond three months after the last dose of LAGEVRIO is unknown. Required Reporting for Serious Adverse Events and Medication Errors The prescribing healthcare provider and/or the provider’s designee is/are responsible for mandatory reporting of all serious adverse events and medication errors potentially related to LAGEVRIO within 7 calendar days from the healthcare provider’s awareness of the event. Submit adverse event and medication error reports, using FDA Form 3500, to FDA MedWatch using one of the following methods: About LAGEVRIO (molnupiravir) LAGEVRIO (molnupiravir) (MK-4482) is an investigational, orally administered nucleoside analog that inhibits the replication of SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID‑19. Merck and Ridgeback’s “orange COVID-19 pill” is a Swedish Orange opaque capsule with the Merck corporate logo and “82” printed in white ink, available in certain markets as LAGEVRIO. Molnupiravir was invented at Emory University. Drug Innovation Ventures at Emory (DRIVE), LLC, which was formed by Emory to develop early-stage drug candidates for viral diseases of global concern, advanced molnupiravir through IND submission. Emory/DRIVE received some research funding from the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. National Institutes of Health. LAGEVRIO is being developed by Merck in collaboration with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics. Ridgeback received an upfront payment from Merck and also is eligible to receive contingent payments dependent upon the achievement of certain developmental and regulatory approval milestones. Profits from the collaboration are split between the partners equally. Since licensed by Ridgeback, all funds used for the development of LAGEVRIO have been provided by Merck and Ridgeback. About Ridgeback Biotherapeutics Headquartered in Miami, Florida, Ridgeback Biotherapeutics LP is a biotechnology company focused on emerging infectious diseases. Ridgeback developed Ebanga TM for the treatment of Ebola and has a late-stage development pipeline which includes molnupiravir for the treatment of COVID-19. The team at Ridgeback is dedicated to developing life-saving and life-changing solutions for patients and diseases that need champions as well as providing global access to these medicines. In line with Ridgeback’s mission for equitable global access, all Ridgeback services and treatment for Ebola patients in Africa are delivered free of charge. For more information, visit www.ridgebackbio.com . About Merck At Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, we are unified around our purpose: We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. For more than 130 years, we have brought hope to humanity through the development of important medicines and vaccines. We aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world – and today, we are at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions that advance the prevention and treatment of diseases in people and animals. We foster a diverse and inclusive global workforce and operate responsibly every day to enable a safe, sustainable and healthy future for all people and communities. For more information, visit www.merck.com and connect with us on X (formerly Twitter) , Facebook , Instagram , YouTube and LinkedIn . SOURCE: Merck