--- title: "Company Claims Pill Cuts Risk of Dying of COVID-19 in Half" description: "Pharmaceutical company Merck claims its new COVID-19 pill called molnupiravir can reduce the risk of hospitalization and even death by half." date: "2021-10-01" modified: "2021-10-01" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/company-claims-covid19-pill-cuts-risk-dying-half" categories: - "Health & Medicine" - "Medical" - "Pathogens" - "Viruses" tags: - "antivirals" - "coronavirus" - "covid19" --- # Company Claims Pill Cuts Risk of Dying of COVID-19 in Half ![Pharmaceutical company Merck claims its new COVID-19 pill called molnupiravir can reduce the risk of hospitalization and even death by half.]() *\Image: Merck\* Pharmaceutical company Merck claims its new COVID-19 pill, called molnupiravir, can [reduce the risk of hospitalization and even death]() from the coronavirus by half, according to newly announced Phase III clinical trial results. The company is now applying for Emergency Use Authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration. It's a promising development for new treatments against severe cases of COVID-19 — but the news should also serve as a reminder that getting vaccinated is by far the best preventative step, regardless of the availability of effective treatments. COVID remains a highly dangerous disease. A staggering [1 in 500 Americans]() have now died from it. In the trials, Merck tested the drug on participants who recently tested positive for COVID and who also had at least one additional risk factor including obesity, diabetes, heart disease or being above the age of 60. After 29 days, 53 out of 377 participants who received the placebo were hospitalized after contracting the coronavirus. Eight of the placebo group died. Only 28 out of 385 participants who received the drug, in contrast, were hospitalized. None of them died. Promisingly, Merck also noted that its drug worked just as well against dangerous new strains of the virus, including the widespread delta variant. If granted authorization, the pill would be the third antiviral drug approved by the FDA to treat COVID. Remdesivir, an injection, has also [proven to be effective]() at staving off serious cases of COVID-19. [Monoclonal antibody therapy]() has also shown promise. All those treatments, though, are very expensive. According [to *The New York Times*](), a five day course of molnupiravir currently costs about $700 per patient. Two doses of the Pfizer vaccine, in contrast, [cost just $39]() — and are available for free at locations across the United States and in many other countries worldwide. While there's meaningful progress toward developing effective treatments for COVID, one simple fact remains: those who are unvaccinated are far more likely — [eleven times]() — to be hospitalized. Granted, breakthrough infections do happen, albeit [quite infrequently](). But at the end of the day, the vaccine is a great way to stay safe. ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()