NEW JERSEY (REUTERS) - US drugmaker Merck & Co said on Saturday (March 6) the experimental antiviral drug molnupiravir it is developing with Ridgeback Bio showed a quicker reduction in infectious virus in its Phase 2a study among participants with early Covid-19.

"The secondary objective findings in this study, of a quicker decrease in infectious virus among individuals with early Covid-19 treated with molnupiravir, are promising," said Associate Professor William Fischer of the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in a statement from the companies.

The antiviral is being currently tested in a Phase 2/3 trial that is set to be completed in May. Merck decided to focus on therapeutics after its two Covid-19 vaccines failed to generate desired immune responses, prompting it to abandon the programme in January.