Molnupiravir, binigyan na ng EUA ng FDA

ni Lolet Abania | December 23, 2021

Binigyan na ng Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ngayong Huwebes ng emergency use authorization (EUA) ang anti-COVID-19 drug na molnupiravir sa ilalim ng brand name na Molnarz.

Ayon kay FDA Director General Eric Domingo, ang nasabing gamot ay gagamitin para sa mga pasyenteng may mild hanggang sa moderate COVID-19.

“This can only be given to adults aged 18 and above, who tested positive for COVID-19 and are at risk of developing severe illness,” ani Domingo sa Laging Handa briefing.

“Molnupiravir is given twice a day for five days, but should be given as soon as possible after diagnosis. And it should be given within the first five days after the onset of symptoms,” dagdag ng opisyal.

Pinapayagan ang EUA para sa legal na adminsitrasyon ng gamot sa bansa, subalit hindi ito pinapayagan para sa commercial selling.

“[The] Molnarz [brand of molnupiravir] was the first one to apply for an EUA and it was able to comply with our required safety, efficacy and quality. With the EUA on molnupirvair, we will not be issuing Compassionate Special Permit anymore,” giit ni Domingo.

“Molnupiravir comes in 200 milligram capsules and should be given during the first five days of COVID-19 symptoms otherwise it will not be useful,” dagdag pa niya.

Paliwanag naman ni Domingo na ang molnupiravir ay hindi maaaring ibigay sa mga buntis, mga indibidwal na gumagamit ng contraceptives at lactating women o nagpapasuso dahil sa kakulangan ng sapat na datos na nagpapakitang ang naturang gamot ay ligtas para sa mga nasabing sector.

COVID-19 antiviral pill na molnupiravir, ipapamahagi na sa Nobyembre

ni Jasmin Joy Evangelista | October 28, 2021

Nakatakdang ipamahagi ang COVID-19 antiviral pill na molnupiravir ngayong Nobyembre 2021 sa mga ospital na may "compassionate special permits."

Nasa mahigit 300,000 COVID-19 patients sa Pilipinas ang unang tatanggap nito, ayon sa Philippine healthcare products importer na MedEthix.

“A breakthrough drug is coming as MedEthix will launch the first molnupiravir in the country within November, and that’s already next month,” ani MedEthix co-founder Monaliza Salian.

“The CSP applicant doctors or the associations, the hospitals, will dispense molnupiravir to the patients with the description. So we will just confine ourselves with whatever is the requirements of the FDA,” dagdag niya.

Ayon naman kay Pharmaceutical company JackPharma Inc. president Meny Hernandez, twice a day ite-take ng pasyente ang gamot sa loob ng limang araw o depende sa payo ng doktor.

Maaari umanong magkahalaga ito ng P130 hanggang P150 pesos kada capsule.

“I would estimate… it’s probably anywhere between, on the market itself, hopefully, it will be somewhere in the vicinity of a P130 per pill,” ani Hernandez.

Sa panayam naman kay infectious disease expert Dr. Rontgene Solante, makatutulong ang molnupiravir lalo na sa mga senior citizens na may comorbidity para mapigilan ang severe infection ng COVID-19.

Pills kontra COVID-19, pinag-aaralan

ni Mary Gutierrez Almirañez | May 28, 2021

Isinasagawa ng American multinational pharmaceutical company na Merck & Co Inc. ang Phase 3 trial ng Molnupiravir o pills kontra COVID-19.

Ayon sa ulat, 1,850 pasyente ang sumalang sa trial, kung saan ipinapainom sa mga ito ang 800 milligrams ng Molnupiravir dalawang beses kada araw sa loob ng 5 days. Inaasahan namang lalabas ang resulta ng trial sa September o October.

Sabi pa ni Merck's Chief Scientific Officer Daria Hazuda, “Viruses are basically little machines and they need certain components to replicate themselves."

Dagdag naman ng infectious diseases physician na si David Hirschwerk ng Northwell Health, "It's great that we have vaccine rollout that has been significant, but it certainly will not be taken by everybody in our population, and not everybody who takes the vaccine will have a full response to it.”

Sa ngayon ay patuloy ang pag-aaral ng mga eksperto sa lahat ng gamot at bakuna na maaaring pumuksa sa lumalaganap na COVID-19 sa buong mundo.