NEW YORK — As the COVID-19 vaccine rolls out across the country, doctors may soon have a new tool to help in the fight against the coronavirus.
Researchers are testing an experimental medication that could become a key COVID-19 treatment.
The drug, molnupiravir, is being developed by Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics. During an interview on FOX & Friends this weekend, Dr. Marc Siegel said the drug looks promising.
“It may be the holy grail on this because it was just studied in phase two trials and it literally stopped the virus in its tracks,” he said during the interview. “And there wasn’t any virus found in the patients that were studied.”
The drug would work similarly to Tamiflu, a medication often given to reduce the severity of the flu. Molnupiravir would be given as an at-home, five-day treatment to stop the virus from reproducing before it causes any major damage.
“This might be the future once the vaccine really gets control over the pandemic and we just start seeing isolated cases,” Siegel said. “By then, this drug might be ready, and this might be the drug for over the next several months.”
Siegel believes the drug could be available within four to five months.
