TehCaster | 13 points | Apr 19 2021 01:20:34

[TrialSiteNews] Merck’s Incredible Quest for the COVID-19 Blockbuster: A Tainted Path to Early Onset Mild-to-Moderate COVID-19 Therapy?

https://trialsitenews.com/mercks-incredible-quest-for-the-covid-19-blockbuster-a-tainted-path-to-early-onset-mild-to-moderate-covid-19-therapy/

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[-] RogerKnights | 2 points | Apr 19 2021 14:29:55

Lengthy and hard for a layman like me to understand. But it has some juicy sentences. And it will be a good resource for a prosecutor when the Day of Judgment arrives.

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[-] lemallette | 2 points | Apr 19 2021 15:57:56

Here is my take on Merck:

Years ago, Merck distributed a massive amount of their drug ivermectin (IVM) free for use in low income countries to fight tropical parasitic diseases, a huge humanitarian gesture by what was then a highly ethical company. It greatly improved the health of miillions in Africa especially. By now, over 40 years of world-wide experience with nearly 4 billion doses has shown that IVM is among the safest of drugs ever marketed, with severe adverse reactions seen essentially only in those with brain parasitic infections or concurrent infections with two different parasites.

In the past year they have spent many millions on development of Covid-19 treatments (vaccines, antibodies, smaller molecules) and are hoping for a billion dollar return. Meanwhile, 26 small, moderate or low-quality randomized trials (and multiple retrospective but balanced studies) have shown their IVERMECTIN effective against Covid-19 for prevention, early treatment, and late treatment. Meta-analysis of the randomized trials has essentially removed any doubt about whether it is effective.

So what does Merck do? They issue a press release saying there is no evidence the ivermectin is effective against Covid-19. The press release is widely quoted by the world's media, and discourages docs from using IVM, resulting in many unnecessary deaths and unnecessarily extra long and complicated illnesses.

They also fund a supposedly randomized trial that is so poorly designed and carried out that the results are meaningless. It is published and concludes that IVM is not effective. Carried out in a community where ivermectin is already widely used and easily available, with the "study drug (IVM)" not identified to the study participants, with a change in "end points" midway through the study (a no-no for believable studies). The study is widely quoted by the media, with the meta-analysis of all the other studies ignored. Despicable.

Conclusions: Merck is a formerly ethical pharmaceutical company. The media don't know what they are about.

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