Oral COVID treatment drug enters Phase 3 trial
MANILA, Philippines — Two Philippine hospitals — Lung Center of the Philippines (LCP) and the Quirino Memorial Medical Center (QMMC) — are carrying out the Phase 3 clinical trials of molnupiravir, an oral therapeutic drug for the treatment of COVID-19.
Molnupiravir is administered to nonhospitalized patients and has the potential to treat them “early in [the] course of the disease,” said Dr. Mary Ann Galang-Escalona, medical lead of MSD in the Philippines.
The drug works by “inserting” itself into the SARS-CoV-2 and “decreasing the replication of the virus,” said Dr. Virginia Delos Reyes of LCP, who conducted the initial trial in May.
She said 15 COVID-19 patients had so far participated in the trials. The QMMC will recruit 10 participants for the trials, Dr. Joel Santiaguel said.
Trial participants must be a mild to moderate COVID-19 patient, with at least one underlying health condition. Treatment is done within five days from the onset of symptoms.
