Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics announced that data evaluating Lagevrio (molnupiravir), an investigational oral antiviral Covid-19 medicine, will be presented at the 2022 European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) (Abstract #4514).

The presentation includes final analyses evaluating virologic outcomes throughout and following a five-day course of Lagevrio as part of the Phase 3 MOVe-OUT trial, which studied Lagevrio versus placebo for the treatment of Covid-19 in non-hospitalized adults with mild to moderate Covid-19 who were at high risk for progressing to severe disease. Among study participants for whom samples were available, viral infectivity was assessed via a plaque-forming assay in Vero cells. Prespecified exploratory virologic outcomes included changes from baseline in SARS-CoV-2 RNA levels, and the percentage of study participants with viral clearance (i.e., undetectable SARS-CoV-2 RNA) and undetectable infectious SARS-CoV-2 through Day 29 in the modified intent-to-treat (mITT) population (≥1 dose of study intervention and not hospitalized prior to first dose).

In participants with infectious virus isolated at baseline and for whom post-baseline infectivity data were available, molnupiravir was associated with more rapid elimination of infectious virus than placebo. Molnupiravir was also associated with greater mean reductions from baseline in SARS-CoV-2 RNA than placebo from Days 3 through 10, though molnupiravir and placebo were associated with comparable rates of viral RNA clearance through Day 29.

“In these exploratory analyses from our Phase 3 study in patients with mild to moderate Covid-19, Lagevrio, an investigational oral antiviral medicine, cleared infectious SARS-CoV-2 faster than placebo among patients who had infectious virus at baseline, resulting in no infectious virus detected at Day 3, 5 or 10,” said Dr. Jay Grobler, associate vice president, infectious diseases and vaccines, Merck Research Laboratories. “These data reinforce our confidence in the potential of Lagevrio as a part of the solution to the Covid-19 pandemic.”