Hungary participates in the clinical testing of an anti-COVID drug

MSD and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics announced the initiation of Phase 3 MOVe-AHEAD clinical trial to evaluate molnupiravir, an investigational oral antiviral therapeutic, to prevent COVID-19 infection.

The clinical trial is a Phase 3 multicenter, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of orally administered molnupiravir compared to placebo in preventing the spread of SARS-CoV-2, Businesswire said.

Molnupiravir is an investigational, orally administered drug that inhibits the replication of multiple RNA viruses, including SARS-CoV-2.

The study will enrol participants at least 18 years old and currently living together with someone who received a positive test for COVID-19, MSD added.

If you are interested, you can enlist HERE.

According to 24, Hungary is also taking a considerable part in the clinical trials, and this will definitely have benefits for the country and the experts who will administer the trial in Hungary.

Hungarian research breakthrough could increase survival time of lung cancer patients

In Hungary, they are currently expecting the participation of 55 volunteers in eight different medical centres. According to Dr Szabolcs Barótfi, the director of clinical trials at MSD Pharma Hungary Ltd, thanks to the programme, several Hungarian medical professionals will gain the first-hand experience with administering and using the investigational molnupiravir.

He also added that the selection of the participants from the volunteers will start soon and said that the results of the worldwide research are expected to be analysed in the first half of next year.

All in all, the research will examine the efficacy of molnupiravir in preventing, treating and prevention of transmission of the coronavirus. The research aims to analyse the test results of over 1,300 volunteers living together with someone who has proven to be infected with Covid. The study is worldwide and will be conducted in countries such as Japan, France, Russia, Spain, the US and more, including Hungary.

Mandatory mask-wearing in Hungary? – University of Pécs already took actions

Want to register for COVID vaccines in Hungary? – Here is everything you need to know

There is another testing currently ongoing in Hungary, as earlier this year, the Virological Research Group of the University of Pécs found that a substance in a widely available nasal spray might actually help fight the coronavirus.

Selected by computational prediction and confirmed by in vitro experimental testing, they identified azelastine, an anti-allergy compound broadly available in nasal formulation as a potential anti-COVID-19 remedy.

According to their initial findings, the substance counters the adhesion and multiplication of the virus in the nose in the early stages of infection.

This means that if the clinical trials prove the safe administering of the substance, that will provide an additional safety measure in the fight to prevent people from being infected by the novel coronavirus.

Source: Businesswire.com, Merck.com, 24.hu