Study: Merck COVID Drug May Cause Virus Mutations

Facts

• In a preprint study from the Francis Crick Institute, Imperial College London, and other UK institutes, researchers found that Merck & Co.'s COVID medication, Lagevrio — also known as molnupiravir — causes new mutations of the virus in patients.
• Molnupiravir, administered as a pill, was developed to eliminate the virus in infected persons by creating mutations in the viral genome. The data shows that the drug generates novel viruses that are transmissible — causing researchers to be concerned that the mutations could extend and reinvigorate the pandemic.
• Merck & Co. denies that Lagevrio causes mutations in the virus. Pfizer, who has endured similar claims for its drug Paxlovid, has dismissed these concerns; both companies blame uncontrollable community transmission instead.
• Merck representatives said that, based on the data the company has collected from research on animals, Lagevrio does not cause mutations.
• In 2021, Merck & Co.'s antiviral was the first drug to be authorized for the treatment of COVID. Initially authorized in the US and the UK, it is now authorized for use in many countries netting the pharmaceutical company more than $5B in 2022.
• While the pharma giant reported $13.8B in sales for the fourth quarter, Merck said they expect a $4.7B decrease in sales for its COVID medicine in 2023.

Sources: Archive, Science, Seeking Alpha, and Barrons.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Archive. While this research finding may seem worrying, it has not gone through the rigorous peer review process. While during the pandemic many scientists started publishing their research on “preprint servers” prior to review in an attempt to more quickly share findings, this practice is dangerous — it means that there is less oversight on research and unverified scientific findings may confuse the public. More validation is needed, and the processes of scientific research and validation must run their due course.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by University Affairs. While peer review is important, the world of publishing moves dangerously slowly — with some studies taking months or even years to move through the peer review and publication process. Preprints accelerate scientific communication and sharing scientific knowledge in a timely manner far outweigh the risks of sharing un-reviewed work. This is just the beginning of findings about the risks of Merck's product, and the public deserves to be aware of the early findings.