4 ms·
> As a protease inhibitor, Paxlovid is free from the theoretical DNA-alteration risk tied to the mechanism of action of Merck’s molnupiravir. This is the line
by fredliu 5y ago
> As a protease inhibitor, Paxlovid is free from the theoretical DNA-alteration risk tied to the mechanism of action of Merck’s molnupiravir.
This is the line I was looking for. Not that I know how protease inhibitor works, but looks more like a traditional anti-viral approach v.s. the potentially DNA altering molnupiravir.
- thehappypm 5y agoI doubt we’ll see molnupiravir getting approved in this context now. I think the mechanism just has too much risk.
- inglor_cz 5y agoAlready approved in the UK: https://www.bbc.com/news/health-59163899 https://www.bbc.com/news/health-59163899
- somewhereoutth 5y agoUnfortunately in the UK there has been political pressure to do absolutely anything (no matter how questionable - e.g challenge trials) that isn't imposing even the slightest restriction.
- inglor_cz 5y agoRolling review for the EU is underway. Let's wait how it turns out. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/news/covid-19-ema-starts-rolling-review-molnupiravir https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/news/covid-19-ema-starts-rollin...
- thehappypm 5y agoThe UK is very different from the US. They seem hell-bent on approving everything. Even historically (thalidomide).
- caleb-allen 5y agoAre you a pharmaceutical research scientist?
- thehappypm 5y agoDo I need to be to have an opinion?
- caleb-allen 5y agoTo have a qualified opinion that carries any weight, yes.
- refurb 5y agoYou seem awfully confident in your opinion for not having any deep knowledge of the area.
- thehappypm 5y agoAd hominem attack
- refurb 5y agoLol, no. Calling out the OP for being wrong and them admitting they have no knowledge in the area is not an ad hominem attack. The OPs theory was disproven on its merits alone.
- ImaCake 5y agoIn brief, coronaviruses make all their proteins as one long chain and then cut it up into the appropriate pieces to form the proteins (spike etc). 3CL protease is the cutting machine and Paxlovid inhibits that.
- thehappypm 5y agoIt also means it’s going to be very difficult for the virus to be able to mutate to evade this. The protease is the beating heart.
- evross 5y agoIt's interesting to learn about. Other molecules are also found to inhibit replication of 3CL protease in SARS cov-2 [1]. The UK scientific advisory group SAGE published a few months ago that combination therapy might be useful to avoid 'antiviral resistant' strains of SARS cov-2 evolving. Perhaps these 3cl protease inhibitors may be used in combination. [1] https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-020-01577-x https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-020-01577-x
- isoprophlex 5y agoWhoa, well spotted, and good news! When I first read about molnupiravir's mode of action, my gut reaction was "cancer in a pill, no thanks"