US pharmaceutical company Merck & Co Inc (NYSE:MRK), known as MSD outside the US and Canada, announced on Thursday the launch of a Phase 3 clinical trial to evaluate LAGEVRIO (molnupiravir) for the treatment of adults with COVID-19 at high risk for disease progression.

This study will assess LAGEVRIO's efficacy in the current COVID-19 landscape and support potential regulatory submissions. The trial will enrol patients who cannot receive nirmatrelvir/ritonavir due to drug-drug interactions, allergy, previous adverse effects or inaccessibility.

The study will use a new formulation of LAGEVRIO with smaller tablets. LAGEVRIO is already approved or authorised in several countries and is available in the United States under Emergency Use Authorization.

LAGEVRIO is being developed by Merck in collaboration with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics.