Merck’s Covid-19 pill to be made by 11 countries for developing nations in UN deal
- China, Vietnam, Bangladesh, South Africa and Kenya are among the countries that will produce versions of Merck’s Covid-19 pill
- The generic version of molnupiravir, said to cut hospitalisation rates in half among patients with early signs of Covid-19, will supply 105 developing nations
A United Nations-backed organisation announced Thursday that it has signed agreements with more than two dozen generic drug makers to produce versions of Merck’s Covid-19 pill to supply 105 developing countries.
The Medicines Patent Pool said the deals would allow drug companies to make both the raw ingredients for molnupiravir and the finished product itself.
Molnupiravir, developed by Merck and Ridgeback Therapeutics, has been reported to cut the hospitalisation rate in half among patients with early signs of Covid-19. Britain, the European Union and the US authorised its use in recent months.
“This is a critical step toward ensuring global access to an urgently needed Covid-19 treatment,” Charles Gore, executive director of the Medicines Patent Pool, said.
The group said 27 generic drug manufacturers in 11 countries, including Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Vietnam, Kenya and South Africa, would soon start producing Merck’s pill.
An antiviral pill that people could take at home to reduce their symptoms and speed recovery could prove groundbreaking, easing the crushing caseload on hospitals and helping to curb outbreaks in poorer countries with weak health care systems.
It would also bolster a two-pronged approach to the pandemic: treatment by way of medication and prevention, primarily through vaccinations.