Molnupiravir for the treatment of non-severe COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 14 randomized trials with 34 570 patients–authors' response.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of 14 randomized trials with 34,570 patients was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of molnupiravir for the treatment of non-severe COVID-19. The results showed that molnupiravir was associated with a reduction in the risk of hospitalization, risk of mechanical ventilation, and time to symptom resolution. The review also found that molnupiravir was most effective in non-severe patients, particularly those at highest risk of hospitalization. However, no significant differences were found in adverse events, all-cause mortality, rate and time to viral clearance, or duration of hospitalization. The authors acknowledge the limitations of their review and emphasize the need for more large-sample studies to clarify the true efficacy of molnupiravir. They also express the importance of exploring other drugs that have the potential to treat COVID-19 and improve important outcomes such as mortality and viral clearance. [Extracted from the article]