Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38743192›Full record

ReviewInfectious diseases and therapy2024

Molnupiravir Use Among Patients with COVID-19 in Real-World Settings: A Systematic Literature Review.

Julia Richmond DiBello, Valerie T Raziano, Xinyue Liu, Amy Puenpatom, Kathryn Peebles, Nazleen F Khan, Deanna D Hill

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Infectious diseases and therapy, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Detection of developmental toxicity of the anti-COVID-19 drug molnupiravir using gastruloid-based in vitro assays.Toxicological sciences : an official journal of the Society of Toxicology · 2025
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Julia Richmond DiBelloBiostatistics and Research Decision Sciences (BARDS), Epidemiology, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA.
Valerie T RazianoCenter for Observational and Real-World Evidence (CORE), Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA. valerie.raziano@merck.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4710-8070
Xinyue LiuBiostatistics and Research Decision Sciences (BARDS), Epidemiology, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1610-1263
Amy PuenpatomCenter for Observational and Real-World Evidence (CORE), Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA.
Kathryn PeeblesBiostatistics and Research Decision Sciences (BARDS), Epidemiology, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2095-7446
Nazleen F KhanBiostatistics and Research Decision Sciences (BARDS), Epidemiology, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4012-6671
Deanna D HillBiostatistics and Research Decision Sciences (BARDS), Epidemiology, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionMolnupiravir (MOV) is an oral antiviral for the treatment of individuals with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 and at high risk of progression to severe disease. Our objective was to conduct a systematic literature review (SLR) of evidence on the effectiveness of MOV in reducing the risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes in real-world outpatient settings.

methodsThe SLR was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 guidelines and using pre-determined population, intervention, comparison, outcome, time, and study design inclusion criteria. Eligible studies were published between January 1, 2021, and March 10, 2023, and evaluated the real-world effectiveness of MOV compared to no treatment in reducing the risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes among outpatients ≥ 18 years of age with a laboratory-confirmed diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

resultsNine studies from five countries were included in the review. The size of the MOV-treated group ranged from 359 to 7818 individuals. Omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2 were dominant in all study periods. Most studies noted differences in the baseline characteristics of the MOV-treated and untreated control groups, with the treated groups generally being older and with more comorbidities. Eight studies reported that treatment with MOV was associated with a significantly reduced risk of at least one severe COVID-19 outcome in at least one age group, with greater benefits consistently observed among older age groups.

conclusionsIn this SLR study, treatment with MOV was effective in reducing the risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19 caused by Omicron variants, especially for older individuals. Differences in the ages and baseline comorbidities of the MOV-treated and control groups may have led to underestimation of the effectiveness of MOV in many observational studies. Real-world studies published to date thus provide additional evidence supporting the continued benefits of MOV in non-hospitalized adults with COVID-19.

Indexed as

COVID-19LagevrioMolnupiravirReal-world studiesSystematic literature review

Identifiers

PMID38743192
PMCPMC11128428

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.