Drugmakers to produce cheap Merck COVID-19 pill for developing nations

Nearly 30 generic drugmakers in Asia, Africa and the Middle East will make cheap versions of Merck & Co’s -MRK.N COVID-19 pill, under a landmark U.N.-backed deal to give developing nations wider access to a drug seen as a weapon in fighting the pandemic on Friday.
Under the deal, negotiated by the U.N.-backed Medicines Patent Pool -MPP with Merck, the U.S. company will not receive royalties for the sale of the low-cost version of the pill while the pandemic continues.
Merck’s early greenlight to production of its anti-viral pill molnupiravir by other companies during the pandemic is a rare example in the pharmaceutical sector, which usually protects its patented treatments for longer periods.

There are questions about molnupiravir which has shown low efficacy in trials and has raised concerns for side-effects, and lengthy procedures for appovals may delay supplies in many poorer nations for months.
However, there are questions about molnupiravir which has shown low efficacy in trials and has raised concerns for side-effects, and lengthy procedures for appovals may delay supplies in many poorer nations for months.
MPP said the deal stipulated the pill would be distributed to 105 less-developed nations.

Molnupiravir course of 40 pills for five days is expected to cost about $20 in African nations, an MPP official involved in the talks with drugmakers told a verified source that, citing initial estimates from drugmakers, which are subject to change.

Already is far below the $700 per course the United States agreed to pay for an initial delivery of 1.7 million courses, but twice as high as first estimated by the World Health Organization -WHO backed programme to procure COVID-19 drugs and vaccines for the world.

Okwuego/RHN