Molnupiravir Covid drug reportedly linked to potential virus mutations

Covid19 medicine, Molnupiravir, sold as Lagevrio, has reportedly been linked to specific genetic changes in the virus that causes Covid19, researchers said, raising questions about whether the drug has the potential to accelerate Covid’s evolution. 

The drug works by creating mutations in the Covid genome to prevent the virus from replicating, reducing its ability to cause severe illness. However, some viral samples from patients who took the drug show a ‘signature mutation profile’, meaning changes were likely triggered by the drug, the authors said Monday 25th September 2023, in the journal Nature. 

The findings suggest that some versions of the virus continue to survive and spread even after exposure to the drug. The researchers said more studies are needed to assess the benefits and risks of using the drug.

What evidence?

There is no evidence that Lagevrio has produced more transmissible or severe variants of Covid, according to the study. The researchers also cautioned that the drug-induced mutations they found have yet to lead to a widely circulating new strain of Covid. 

Disputed

The maker has disputed the idea that Lagevrio was causing problematic new variants and said it didn’t believe its treatment was likely to contribute to mutations based on data at the time.

In another report, COVID vaccines have reportedly been linked to unexpected vaginal bleeding.

See report – (Nature journal)…

Women who don’t menstruate, including postmenopausal women and those on contraceptives, were several times more likely to experience unexpected vaginal bleeding after COVID-19 vaccination than before the vaccines were offered, a study finds.

When COVID-19 jabs were rolled out globally, many women reported heavier-than-usual menstrual bleeding soon after vaccination. Study author Kristine Blix, at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health in Oslo, wanted to look at the trend systematically, particularly in women who don’t normally have periods, such as those taking contraceptives or who have been through menopause. The work is published in Science Advances.