The drugmaker said Monday that it will focus instead on studying two possible treatments for the virus that also have yet to be approved by regulators. The company said its potential vaccines were well tolerated by patients, but they generated an inferior immune system response compared with other vaccines.
It said last fall that it had started early-stage research in volunteers on potential vaccines that require only one dose. Vaccines developed by
The
Five potential vaccines have reached late-stage testing in
Since vaccinations began in December, nearly 22 million doses have been delivered to people nationwide, according to the
A total of 3.2 million people, or 1% of the population, have received both doses required for those vaccines.
More than 419,000 people in
The government is paying
The treatment, known as MK-7110, has the potential to minimize the damaging effects of an overactive immune response to COVID-19. This immune response can complicate the life-saving efforts of doctors and nurses.
Merck’s other potential treatment is an oral antiviral drug. The company also expects to see early results from mid-to-late-stage research on that in the first quarter.
AP Writer
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