Molnupiravir

Molnupiravir is used to treat COVID-19. It is sold under the brand name Lagevrio. It inhibits the replication of RNA viruses.

About Molnupiravir

The Molnupiravir is a prodrug. Prodrug means a compound that is used to improve the absorption, distribution, metabolization and excretion of a drug. It is used to improve the bioavailability when the drug is absorbed poorly in the gastrointestinal tract. The Molnupiravir introduces copying errors during RNA replication in the virus.

Development of Molnupiravir

The Molnupiravir was at first developed to treat influenza. It was developed at the Emory University by the Drug Innovation Ventures (DRIVE). In October 2021, the United Kingdom government approved the usage of Molnupiravir against COVID-19.

Working of Molnupiravir

Molnupiravir stops viral reproduction. This is done by increasing the mutation in the virus. After ingestion (eating), the Molnupiravir is first metabolised into ribonucleoside analog. The ribonucleoside analog or nucleotide analogues are used as antiviral components. They act as chain terminators. The Molnupiravir gets metabolised into a ribonucleoside called cytidine.

Lethal Mutagenesis in Molnupiravir

Molnupiravir uses Error Catastrophe or Lethal mutagenesis effect to kill the virus. There are two forms of Molnupiravir. One is cytidine and the other is Uridine. When the RNA containing Molnupiravir replicates, it is sometimes interpreted as cytidine and sometimes as Uridine. The virus does not read cytidine and uridine as errors. This error reading mechanism is essential in virus. This is because after reading such errors, the virus corrects the mutation with the right virus.

Lethal Mutagenesis in simple terms

For instance, the RNA of the virus is ABC. But it is copied as ADC. This is mutation. The mutation can be advantageous and disadvantageous. Usually, the virus identifies the error. Here B is copied wrongly as D. It then corrects such errors. Here, the virus is incapable of identifying the error created by Molnupiravir. Eventually the mutation level increases to an extent where the virus cannot survive. This is called lethal mutagenesis.

Molnupiravir in India

In April 2021, CIPLA, a pharmaceutical company was permitted to manufacture, market and distribute Molnupiravir in India.

First Molnupiravir pill

In November 2021, Merck, a private drug maker announced that it has developed the first antiviral Molnupiravir pill to be taken orally. The name of the Molnupiravir pill is Mjolnir. Mjolnir is the name of the hammer used by the thunder god Thor in Norse mythology. The patient has to take four Molnupiravir capsules in a day. And a total of 40 pills are taken over the course of treatment.