Molnupiravir

Molnupiravir (development codes EIDD-2801 and MK-4482) is an investigational antiviral drug for oral administration for the treatment of influenza. It is an N4-hydroxycytidine-donating prodrug, a nucleoside derivative known to be mutagenic that acts against RNA viruses by introducing errors in RNA replication by the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. It also has some activity against coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-25, responsible for SARS, MERS and COVID-19 respectively. It was developed at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, before being acquired by Ridgeback Biotherapeutics in Miami, Florida, which has partnered with Merck & Co. for further development.

EIDD 2801
Therapeutically administered ribonucleoside analogue MK-4482/EIDD-2801 blocks SARS-CoV-2 transmission in ferrets


 * '' copyedit needed:

The news from the pharmaceutical company Merck is less encouraging. The vaccine project seems to have failed, according to an official press report.
The two vaccines against COVID-19 (V590 and V591) were ultimately not convincing. According to data from the Phase I clinical trial, the vaccines were well tolerated, but the immune response was weaker - both in comparison to survived infections with SARS-CoV-2 and to vaccine candidates from other manufacturers. Instead, the company now wants to focus more on therapeutic options. MK-7110 and MK-4482 are the hopeful names for the experimental antiviral molnupiravir, which was originally developed for the treatment of influenza. Efficacy data should be available by the end of March

Robson F, Khan KS, Le TK, Paris C, Demirbag S, Barfuss P, Rocchi P, Ng WL. 2020 Coronavirus RNA Proofreading: Molecular Basis and Therapeutic Targeting. Mol Cell. 79(5):710-727

Menéndez-Arias L. 2021 Decoding molnupiravir-induced mutagenesis in SARS-CoV-2. J Biol Chem. 297(1):100867. doi:10.1016/j.jbc.2021.100867