Randomized Trial of Molnupiravir or Placebo in Patients Hospitalized with Covid-19

Arribas et al., NEJM Evidence, doi:10.1056/EVIDoa2100044, MOVe-IN, NCT04575584

Dec 2021

RCT 304 hospitalized patients, 218 treated with molnupiravir, showing no significant differences. MOVe-IN MK-4482-001. NCT04575584 (history).

Concerns have been raised that the mutagenic mechanism of action may create dangerous variants or cause cancer Chamod, Hadj Hassine, Huntsman, Marikawa, Swanstrom, Waters, Zhou, Zibat. Multiple analyses have identified variants potentially created by molnupiravir Fountain-Jones, Kosakovsky Pond, Sanderson, twitter.com.

1. Chamod et al., Molnupiravir Metabolite--N4-hydroxycytidine Causes Cytotoxicity and DNA Damage in Mammalian Cells in vitro: N4-hydroxycytidine Induced Cytotoxicity DNA Damage, Asian Medical Journal and Alternative Medicine, 23:3, asianmedjam.com/index.php/amjam/article/view/1448.asianmedjam.com.

2. Fountain-Jones et al., Effect of molnupiravir on SARS-CoV-2 evolution in immunocompromised patients: a retrospective observational study, The Lancet Microbe, doi:10.1016/S2666-5247(23)00393-2.sciencedirect.com, doi.org.

3. Hadj Hassine et al., Lethal Mutagenesis of RNA Viruses and Approved Drugs with Antiviral Mutagenic Activity, Viruses, doi:10.3390/v14040841.mdpi.com, doi.org.

4. Huntsman, M., An assessment of the reproductive toxicity of the anti-COVID-19 drug molnupiravir using stem cell-based embryo models, Master's Thesis, scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/items/cd11342c-b4dc-44c0-8b44-ce6e3369c40b.hawaii.edu.

5. Kosakovsky Pond et al., Anti-COVID drug accelerates viral evolution, Nature, doi:10.1038/d41586-023-03248-3.nature.com, doi.org.

6. Marikawa et al., An active metabolite of the anti-COVID-19 drug molnupiravir impairs mouse preimplantation embryos at clinically relevant concentrations, Reproductive Toxicology, doi:10.1016/j.reprotox.2023.108475.sciencedirect.com, doi.org.

7. Sanderson et al., A molnupiravir-associated mutational signature in global SARS-CoV-2 genomes, Nature, doi:10.1038/s41586-023-06649-6.nature.com, doi.org.

8. Swanstrom et al., Lethal mutagenesis as an antiviral strategy, Science, doi:10.1126/science.abn0048.science.org, doi.org.

9. twitter.com, twitter.com/LongDesertTrain/status/1597353291868155906.twitter.com/LongDesertTrain/status/1597353291868155906.

10. Waters et al., Human genetic risk of treatment with antiviral nucleoside analog drugs that induce lethal mutagenesis: the special case of molnupiravir, Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis, doi:10.1002/em.22471.wiley.com, doi.org.

11. Zhou et al., β-D-N4-hydroxycytidine Inhibits SARS-CoV-2 Through Lethal Mutagenesis But Is Also Mutagenic To Mammalian Cells, The Journal of Infectious Diseases, doi:10.1093/infdis/jiab247.oup.com, doi.org.

12. Zibat et al., N4-hydroxycytidine, the active compound of Molnupiravir, promotes SARS-CoV-2 mutagenesis and escape from a neutralizing nanobody, iScience, doi:10.1016/j.isci.2023.107786.sciencedirect.com, doi.org.

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risk of death, 281.9% higher, RR 3.82, p = 0.31, treatment 11 of 216 (5.1%), control 1 of 75 (1.3%), combined, excluding imputed deaths.

risk of death, 216.9% higher, RR 3.17, p = 0.36, treatment 3 of 71 (4.2%), control 1 of 75 (1.3%), 800mg, excluding imputed death.

risk of death, 316.7% higher, RR 4.17, p = 0.20, treatment 4 of 72 (5.6%), control 1 of 75 (1.3%), 400mg, excluding imputed death.

risk of death, 311.0% higher, RR 4.11, p = 0.21, treatment 4 of 73 (5.5%), control 1 of 75 (1.3%), 200mg.

risk of no recovery, 1.0% lower, RR 0.99, p = 0.96, treatment 72, control 75, inverted to make RR<1 favor treatment, 800mg.

risk of no recovery, 11.5% lower, RR 0.88, p = 0.53, treatment 73, control 75, inverted to make RR<1 favor treatment, 400mg.

risk of no recovery, 1.0% higher, RR 1.01, p = 0.96, treatment 73, control 75, inverted to make RR<1 favor treatment, 200mg.

recovery time, no change, relative time 1.00, treatment 72, control 75, 800mg.

recovery time, no change, relative time 1.00, treatment 73, control 75, 400mg.

recovery time, no change, relative time 1.00, treatment 73, control 75, 200mg.

risk of no viral clearance, 11.8% lower, RR 0.88, p = 0.57, treatment 26 of 52 (50.0%), control 34 of 60 (56.7%), NNT 15, 800mg, Table S16, day 15 mid-recovery.

risk of no viral clearance, 2.4% higher, RR 1.02, p = 1.00, treatment 29 of 50 (58.0%), control 34 of 60 (56.7%), 400mg, Table S16, day 15 mid-recovery.

risk of no viral clearance, 20.6% lower, RR 0.79, p = 0.27, treatment 27 of 60 (45.0%), control 34 of 60 (56.7%), NNT 8.6, 200mg, Table S16, day 15 mid-recovery.

risk of no viral clearance, 8.3% lower, RR 0.92, p = 1.00, treatment 9 of 53 (17.0%), control 10 of 54 (18.5%), NNT 65, 800mg, Table S16, day 29.

risk of no viral clearance, 48.2% higher, RR 1.48, p = 0.35, treatment 14 of 51 (27.5%), control 10 of 54 (18.5%), 400mg, Table S16, day 29.

risk of no viral clearance, 21.5% lower, RR 0.79, p = 0.61, treatment 8 of 55 (14.5%), control 10 of 54 (18.5%), NNT 25, 200mg, Table S16, day 29.

Effect extraction follows pre-specified rules prioritizing more serious outcomes. Submit updates

Arribas et al., 16 Dec 2021, Double Blind Randomized Controlled Trial, multiple countries, peer-reviewed, 21 authors, study period 19 October, 2020 - 12 January, 2021, average treatment delay 7.1 days, trial NCT04575584 (history) (MOVe-IN).

This Paper Molnupiravir All

Randomized Trial of Molnupiravir or Placebo in Patients Hospitalized with Covid-19

José R Arribas, M.D Sanjay Bhagani, M.D Suzana M Lobo, M.D Ilsiyar Khaertynova, M.D Lourdes Mateu, M.D Roman Fishchuk, M.D William Y Park, M.D Khetam Hussein, M.D Sei Won Kim, M.D Jade Ghosn, Michelle L Brown, Ph.D Ying Zhang, Ph.D Wei Gao, Ph.D Christopher Assaid, Ph.D Jay A Grobler, Ph.D Julie Strizki, Mary Vesnesky, M.D Amanda Paschke, M.D Joan R Butterton, Pharm.D Carisa De Anda

NEJM Evidence, doi:10.1056/evidoa2100044

BACKGROUND Molnupiravir is an oral prodrug of b-D-N4-hydroxycytidine, active against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro and in animal models. We report data from the phase 2 component of MOVe-IN, a clinical trial evaluating molnupiravir in patients hospitalized with Covid-19. METHODS We conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind phase 2/3 trial in patients 18 years old and older requiring in-hospital treatment for laboratoryconfirmed Covid-19 with symptom onset 10 or fewer days before randomization. Participants were randomly assigned to placebo or molnupiravir 200 mg, 400 mg, or 800 mg (1:1:1:1 ratio), twice daily for 5 days. Primary end points were safety and sustained recovery (participant alive and either not hospitalized or medically ready for discharge) through day 29. RESULTS Of 304 randomly assigned participants, 218 received at least one dose of molnupiravir and 75 of placebo. At baseline, 74.0% had at least one risk factor for severe Covid-19. Adverse events were reported in 121 of 218 (55.5%) molnupiravir-treated and 46 of 75 (61.3%) placebo-treated participants, with no apparent dose effect on adverse event rates and no evidence of hematologic toxicity based on prespecified adverse events. Of 16 confirmed deaths, most were in participants with severe Covid-19 (75.0%), with underlying comorbidities (87.5%), older than 60 years of age (81.3%), and/or symptom duration longer than 5 days (75.0%) at randomization. Median time to sustained recovery was 9 days in all groups, with similar day 29 recovery rates ranging from 81.5% to 85.2%.

Author Affiliations 1 Infectious Diseases Unit, Hospital Universitario La Paz-IdiPAZ, Madrid 2 Department of Infectious Diseases, Royal Free Hospital, London

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Late treatment
is less effective

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