By Jay Tavares-
Local Gps and health professionals in many parts of England are recruting participants for a study on the first pill that can be taken at home to tackle Covid-19 symptoms for the over 50’s and those with underlying issues.
They want to see if a simple tablet taken at home could help vulnerable people recover more quickly from coronavirus, preventing the need to go into hospital.
The groundbreaking, new treatments are intended for use in the very early stages of infection by patients at higher risk of complications.
The first treatment to go through the trial is molnupiravir (brand name Lagevrio), a pill that has already been licensed by the regulatory agency.
The antiviral Molnupiravir has been shown to halve patients’ risk of death and it is hoped it will reduce pressure on the NHS this winter.
The molnupiravir pill (the brand name of which is Lagevrio), licensed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, is intended for use in the very early stage of infection, by people at higher risk of complications.
Prof Jonathan Van-Tam, Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England, said: “Throughout this pandemic, we have rapidly identified and deployed some of the world’s best treatments for Covid-19 to UK patients.
“Antivirals will be a vital intervention for years to come, helping to protect those that can’t mount the same antibody response to the vaccines.
“This is really positive news for the future of our response to Covid-19 – please sign up to the study if you’re eligible as soon as you can.”
Molnupiravir should be taken twice daily within the first five days of the positive test.
The Government said in October it had secured 480,000 courses of the drug.
Then the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has already recommended it for use in people with mild to moderate Covid-19 and at least one risk factor for developing severe illness. These included obesity, older age, diabetes and heart disease.
If the UK trial confirms the success rate of earlier trials by manufacturers Merck Sharp & Dohme then the drug could be offered more widely on the NHS.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid said: “The UK is a world-leader in rolling out innovative treatments to the patients who need them and today is a historic milestone in our battle against the virus, deploying the first medicines vulnerable people will be able to take outside of hospital and in the comfort of their own homes to protect themselves.
“This opens up a new era for the treatment of Covid-19, one where we can begin to cover every phase of contracting this deadly disease – whether it be before you catch it, just after you catch it, if you develop symptoms or if you require hospital care.
“If you’re eligible, please sign up to the study as soon as possible and play your part in history.”
If the trials are successful, it is hoped that oral antiviral treatments will, in the future, help to ease the burden on the NHS as it fights the pandemic.
Dr Simon Royal, research lead at the University of Nottingham Health Service, said: “It is hoped these new treatments could be another tool for the NHS.
“I would urge anyone in the county who receives a positive PCR test for Covid-19 to consider stepping forward to take part in the study.
“If you meet the criteria, you will be playing a vital role in helping experts find new ways to tackle the symptoms of Covid-19.”
Professor Nick Lemoine, of the National Institute for Clinical Research, said: “These drugs work by disrupting the virus and preventing it from multiplying inside the body. Early trials suggest they are safe and effective.”