Merck to Begin Pivotal COVID-19 Antiviral Studies in September

During Merck's (NYSE: MRK) second-quarter earnings call on Friday, the company's head of research and development discussed progress on a potential new treatment for COVID-19 patients. The antiviral candidate MK-4482 is a nucleoside analog that makes it hard for SARS-CoV-2 to replicate itself in the laboratory.