Important Facts For Prelims
Molnupiravir: A Drug for Covid-19
- 05 Nov 2021
- 2 min read
Why in News
Recently, it is claimed that Molnupiravir, an oral drug, can cut the risk of hospitalisation in Covid-19 patients by half, in phase 3 trials.
- In India, the Optimus Group recently announced the results of phase 3 clinical trials, which found 91.5% of patients given the drug tested RT-PCR (Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction) negative.
Key Points
- Molnupiravir:
- It belongs to a class of broad spectrum antiviral drugs called nucleoside analogues.
- They act by interfering with the function of viral RNA (Ribonucleic Acids) polymerases – which are enzymes that make new viral RNA in infected cells.
- RNA is a polymer of ribonucleotides and an important biological macromolecule that is present in all biological cells.
- It is principally involved in the synthesis of proteins, carrying the messenger instructions from Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), which itself contains the genetic instructions required for the development and maintenance of life.
- It works by causing viruses to make errors when copying their own RNA, introducing mutations that inhibit replication.
- It was initially invented as a drug for the influenza virus.
- It belongs to a class of broad spectrum antiviral drugs called nucleoside analogues.
- Mechanism:
- These drugs work by preventing the process of replication of the virus inside human cells.
- A virus is a biological agent that can self-replicate inside a host cell. The infected cells by viruses may produce thousands of new copies of the original virus at an extraordinary rate.
- It alters critical enzymes that were necessary to the virus for replicating in the human body cells.
- As of now, the Emergency Use Authorization is awaited for the drug but currently, it can be administered as a pill in a 5-day regimen.
- These drugs work by preventing the process of replication of the virus inside human cells.