Definitely positive but will wait for full paper, peer review etc. Also good that its an oral medication.
https://www.merck.com/news/merck-an...to-placebo-for-patients-with-mild-or-moderat/
I love this idea. The whole "lemsip for covid" thing would be a great step forward. But I'll admit this drug makes me nervous - hopefully just because I'm unfamiliar with it.
At first sight though, the description of how it works is quite scary - scarier to me than the sound of the vaccines.
It's a treatment course that helps, provided it's delivered at the right time to the right people. What about when it doesn't help? Maybe because they took it too late or because the didn't complete the course or just because it didn't work for them. What will their particular mutant virus now look like?
Plus, it's an expensive product - maybe $700/course initially (though presumably that would fall fast if it sells at volume). Not as expensive as hospitalisation or antibody treatments - but certainly not lemsip! Giving it to targeted individuals (people who vaccines may not work on) would be an option, but that's going to need a bigger trial. Giving it to everyone is really only a runner (in most countries) if case rates are really low and testing and prescribing is done early.
It's not the sort of pill the average householder can keep in their cupboard in case their workmate tests positive, or if an LFT shows positive. Or, at least, it won't be for a long while.
So, I guess I'm a bit, "hmm, yeah, not sure," about this particular piece of news. Not about the principle though. I'm hoping we'll develop some great therapeutics - particularly ones which like this one have the potential to open the door to things like flu treatments as well. Hopefully this is the start of something big.