read this part carefully: "Among patients taking molnupiravir, 7.3 per cent were either hospitalized or died at the end of 30 days, compared with 14.1 per cent of those getting the dummy pill. There were no deaths in the drug group after that time period compared with eight deaths in the placebo group, according to Merck."
If the drug is effective based on this trial and has no significant side-effects then further trials where some people will receive "dummy pills" and end up dying when they're less likely to have had they received the molnupiravir. The difference with ivermectin is that it's known to have minor side-effects and while limited to a few trials in the west, was used in places like India on a wide scale and there was a concurrent sudden decline in cases and deaths. Of course limited trials are going to be inconclusive because it needs to be used population wise to show how beneficial it is. These trials literally cost peoples' lives.
Dude, welcome to medical ethics 101. The ethics of clinic trials are well thought through. In fact this trial was halted early because the drug was so effective it was deemed unethical to continue restricting the placebo group.
was used in places like India on a wide scale and there was a concurrent sudden decline in cases and deaths.
From the article: "There would be major benefits from the pill if subsequent trials back up the early results"
It's early days yet. The "subsequent trials" referred to would be more rigorous than anything ivermectin has passed so far.
read this part carefully: "Among patients taking molnupiravir, 7.3 per cent were either hospitalized or died at the end of 30 days, compared with 14.1 per cent of those getting the dummy pill. There were no deaths in the drug group after that time period compared with eight deaths in the placebo group, according to Merck."
If the drug is effective based on this trial and has no significant side-effects then further trials where some people will receive "dummy pills" and end up dying when they're less likely to have had they received the molnupiravir. The difference with ivermectin is that it's known to have minor side-effects and while limited to a few trials in the west, was used in places like India on a wide scale and there was a concurrent sudden decline in cases and deaths. Of course limited trials are going to be inconclusive because it needs to be used population wise to show how beneficial it is. These trials literally cost peoples' lives.
Dude, welcome to medical ethics 101. The ethics of clinic trials are well thought through. In fact this trial was halted early because the drug was so effective it was deemed unethical to continue restricting the placebo group.
Dude, welcome to causal inference 101.