There'ss been a lot of chatter and nervous excitement lately about two new oral antiviral pills, Molnupiravir and Paxlovid, to combat COVID-19 and help keep people out of the hospital. This is the first time we are seeing new COVID treatments that basically are meant to be taken at home. is case. Who g Timing maybe everything in thets access to the antivirals and how, when they have to literally be given within a few days from COVID symptom onset for them to actually work? Does this mark a turning point in the pandemic? We take a deep-dive exploring the first antiviral out of the gate made by Merck, Molnupiravir* (trust us it took a while before we got how to pronounce it right), with Dr.Brian Conway, an infectious disease specialist and Medical Director of the Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre. Dr.Conway translates the trial data for us and shares what the oral pills mean for this stage of the pandemic, the emergence of Omicron, and where the pill stand as a public health tool. *Molnupiravir is named after Thor’s hammer, Mjölnir. Pretty cool.
Dr.Brian Conway, MD, FRCPC Infectious Disease Physician
Medical Director - Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre (VIDC)
Dr. Brian Conway is the Medical Director of the Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre (VIDC), specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of chronic infectious diseases and related conditions, with a focus on HIV and HCV infections. At VIDC, he is the Principal Investigator for over 25 HIV and HCV clinical research trials, and is credited with the conceptualization and implementation of the ENTENTE (Engage, Test, Engage, Treat, Engage) program that led to the development of VIDC’s Community Pop-Up Clinics (CPCs).
The VIDC’s CPCs provide point-of-care testing for HIV and HCV in Vancouver’s Downtown East Side (DTES). Over 500 patients have been diagnosed with HCV and engaged in care through this program, and over 150 have already received HCV treatment. His leadership with the CPCs has led to the development of novel strategies for the delivery of care emphasizing the simplification of therapeutic options and integration of medical, addiction, social, and psychological aspects of care.
Recent Media: