According to the Ministry of Health, the drug Molnupiravir has been licensed for circulation and approved for emergency use in the treatment of Covid-19 in many countries such as the UK, the US, and Japan.
Based on the indications and recommendations of the drug Molnupiravir approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), Molnupiravir is used to treat mild to moderate Covid-19 adults. It has at least one risk factor for severe progression; drugs used in patients with symptom onset less than five days; plus, people should not be used for post- or pre-exposure prophylaxis against Covid-19.
Notably, the health agency also warned, caution for the drug Molnupiravir not recommended for use during pregnancy. Females were required to not be pregnant or breastfeeding. Women who were of child-bearing age had to agree to use a highly effective contraceptive method or be abstinent for 28 days.
For children and adolescents, Molnupiravir should not be used in patients under 18 years of age because of possible effects on bone and cartilage development. For men, Molnupiravir can affect sperm, although the risk is considered low. Therefore, men who are sexually active with women of childbearing potential should use a reliable method of contraception consistently during treatment with Molnupiravir and for at least three months after the last dose of Molnupiravir.
The Ministry of Health specifies that to ensure safety and effectiveness, only use Molnupiravir with a doctor's prescription following the indications, usage limits and warnings, and cautions of the drug. People shouldn’t self-medicate with illegal Molnupiravir or medicine with unknown origin. While using Molnupiravir, a patient should immediately notify their doctor for advice and timely treatment if they encounter any adverse drug reactions.
Lately, ICMR Chief Dr. Balram Bhargava said on January 5 that Covid antiviral drug Molnupiravir has major safety concerns and has not been included in the national protocol for the treatment of coronavirus because of permanent transmissible changes in the structure of genetic material of cells, muscle, and bone damage.
To date, the Ministry of Health has allocated about 400,000 doses of Molnupiravir to 51 provinces and cities that are implementing the program on the controlled use of Molnupiravir for mild cases of Covid-19 in the community.
The results of the Molnupiravir trial showed that most of the Covid-19 patients taking the drug had a low viral load, a very low rate of severe disease and no deaths. Recently, the Ministry of Health has granted conditional circulation registration for three drugs containing the active ingredient Molnupiravir which are produced in the country.
