UK study suggests Covid-19 drug causes virus mutation

Merck's molnupiravir, a tablet form of COVID-19 medication, is one of the earliest COVID-19 treatments developed to prevent severe illness in at-risk individuals. This drug is prescribed for a five-day course and works by creating mutations in the virus to weaken and destroy it, according to AFP.

Nghiên cứu tại Anh gợi ý thuốc trị Covid-19 khiến virus đột biến - Ảnh 1. — Merck's Covid-19 drug molnupiravir

However, a new study published on September 25 by British scientists suggests that molnupiravir may significantly increase the survival of mutated viruses, and in some cases, make them transmissible.

The study, published in the scientific journal Nature, followed researchers' review of a database of more than 15 million SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes Covid-19) gene sequences. The data was used to track changes in how the virus mutates during the pandemic. This allowed the researchers to identify signs of a distinct mutation in patients believed to be linked to molnupiravir.

In 2022, when this drug was prescribed in massive quantities, the number of patients with this mutated virus increased significantly, commonly seen in countries where molnupiravir was widely prescribed, such as the US, UK, Australia, and Japan. In countries where the drug had not been approved, such as Canada or France, cases were rarer.

Geneticist Theo Sanderson at the Francis Crick Institute (UK), the lead researcher, emphasized that there is no evidence yet that molnupiravir produces viruses that spread faster or are more virulent.

Furthermore, Sanderson stated that no variant currently sweeping the world originated from Merck's drug. "However, it is difficult to predict whether molnupiravir could lead to a new, widely circulating variant to which humans are not already immune," Sanderson noted.

Merck rejected the study, saying the researchers had made a hypothesis without documented evidence. Sanderson countered this claim, emphasizing that the research team used extensive independent evidence to confidently identify molnupiravir as the cause of the mutation.

Evidence suggests that prolonged Covid-19 infection affects multiple organs in humans.

Some independent experts seem to lean toward the British research team, according to AFP. However, they emphasize that molnupiravir does not pose a danger to those currently taking the drug, and they do not urge patients to abandon it. Sanderson's team also suggests that molnupiravir should not be prescribed alone but should be used in combination with other medications.

According to Merck, sales of molnupiravir, marketed under the trade name Lagevrio, exceeded $20 billion in 2022. However, sales of this COVID-19 drug fell 82% in the second quarter of 2023 compared to the same period last year.

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