Syllabus Section: Science and Technolgy

WHY IN NEWS?

• A new drug called Molnupiravir has been shown to stop the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in 24 hours. It have been published in the journal Nature Microbiology.And Indian researchers plan to apply to the drug regulator to conduct human trials with the drug.

ABOUT THE DRUG

• The antiviral drug Molnupiravir, or MK-4482/EIDD-2801, is taken orally. Molnupiravir is being developed by the biotechnology firm Ridgeback Biotherapeutics in collaboration with pharmaceutical firm Merck.

• The research team repurposed MK-4482/EIDD-2801 against SARS-CoV-2 and tested it on ferrets.

• This is the first demonstration of an orally available drug to rapidly block SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

IN ACTION

• In ferrets, the drug was shown to completely suppress transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in 24 hours.

• Researchers infected ferrets with SARS-CoV-2 and initiated treatment with MK-4482/EIDD-2801 when the animals started to shed the virus from the nose.

• Ferrets are a popular model for influenza and other respiratory infections because their lung physiology is similar to humans and researchers hope they will mimic aspects of Covid-19 in people such as its spread

• The drug basically stops replication of the copies of the virus’s RNA in the cell.

 

Source: Indian Express