New antiviral pill halves risk of COVID-19 hospitalization, Merck says

In a late-stage clinical trial, a new antiviral pill halved the chance that patients diagnosed with COVID-19 would end up in the hospital or die from the disease, the drugmaker Merck announced Friday (Oct. 1). The drug, called molnupiravir, was developed by Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics and could be the first oral medication specifically approved for the treatment of COVID-19, assuming the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorizes its use, Stat News reported. That said, data from the trial hasn't yet been peer-reviewed, so the drug's safety and efficacy still need to be confirmed. Full Story: LiveScience (10/1)