Traws Pharma (NASDAQ:TRAW) reported promising interim results from its Phase 2 trial of ratutrelvir, a ritonavir-free Mpro inhibitor, in the treatment of COVID-19.
The oral treatment, administered at a 600 mg once-daily dose for 10 days, was compared against PAXLOVID™ in a randomized, open-label study involving 37 patients—25 receiving ratutrelvir and 12 receiving PAXLOVID™.
According to the data, ratutrelvir showed comparable time-to-sustained symptom alleviation to PAXLOVID™, with numerically fewer adverse events.
The most common adverse event in the ratutrelvir group was mild dyspepsia in 7.6% of patients, whereas one patient in the PAXLOVID™ group (8.3%) experienced a viral rebound.
Notably, no viral rebounds were observed in the ratutrelvir arm to date, in contrast to the single rebound seen in the PAXLOVID™ group.
The study also included six PAXLOVID‑ineligible patients who were treated with ratutrelvir, and they exhibited similar symptom improvements.
The company anticipates completing its final analysis of the data in January 2026, with expectations to further assess ratutrelvir's potential as a competitive alternative to PAXLOVID™ in the treatment of COVID-19.