According to the findings of a recent study, molnupiravir is a valuable therapeutic agent to reduce death and composite of hospitalization or death in adults with SARS-CoV-2 having high risk, with a relatively lower cost. Investigators carried out this study to offer an updated practical clinical guideline to use molnupiravir (a newer oral antiviral drug) in people infected with coronavirus disease.

Furthermore, the efficacy of molnupiravir was comparatively evaluated with other drugs having emergency use authorization for COVID-19. With the aid of key MeSH keywords, databases such as Google Scholar, MedRxiv, and PubMed were systematically explored. The final outcomes of the phase III trial in 1433 non-hospitalized coronavirus-infected people demonstrated a considerable decline in the composite risk of hospitalization or mortality (absolute risk difference −3.0%) although with only 31% relative risk reduction (RRR).

The RRR for death alone was 89%. The number required to treat/prevent one death or one hospitalization or death composite seems to be closely competitive to other agents (nirmatrelvir-ritonavir and remdesivir) having emergency use authorization in COVID-19 patients. But, molnupiravir is comparatively cheaper in comparison with other therapeutic agents.

The drug molnupiravir appears to be a promising agent in non-pregnant unvaccinated adults having COVID-19 and who are at elevated risk of severity including hospitalization. But, it is effective only when utilized within five days of symptoms commencement. A five-day course appears to be safe without any evident short-term adverse effects.