Australia’s former national deputy chief medical officer says the country’s doctors and medical experts “got it wrong” advising use of a COVID-19 medication thought to strongly reduce the risk of the illness becoming life-threatening.

Molnupiravir, sold in Australia under the brand name Lagevrio and bought in bulk by the federal government, disrupts COVID’s ability to copy itself and was the first coronavirus antiviral to win government subsidy here.

Infectious diseases physician Dr Nick Coatsworth (pictured) told Liam Bartlett on 6PR Mornings preliminary findings from a major new study suggest the medication works no better than a placebo.

Tap PLAY to hear Dr Coatsworth discuss the latest findings

“I think one of the things that doctors, like myself, but in particular regulators like the TGA need to ask ourselves is, how did it come to this?” he said on Thursday.

“How can we allow a drug to be marketed as a real saviour of COVID-19 but then turn out to be no better than a placebo?”