Merck Enters into Licensing Deal with Five Indian Companies for Supply of Oral Covid-19 Drug

Recently, Merck, also known as MSD, has entered into licensing agreements with five Indian generics drug manufacturers to manufacture and supply oral Covid-19 drug Molnupiravir. MSD India is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) and is known as Merck & Co., Inc, in the United States and Canada.

COVID-19 Oral Drug LicensingUnder the agreements, Merck will provide licenses to these manufacturers to supply molnupiravir to India and more than 100 LMICs. These are non-exclusive voluntary licenses with Indian pharmaceutical companies:

 

  • Sun Pharmaceuticals
  • Cipla,
  • Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories
  • Emcure Pharmaceuticals, and
  • Hetero Labs

All the above companies also have World Health Organization (WHO) prequalified manufacturing facilities and the capability to act as global suppliers of the drug for low and middle-income countries.

Molnupiravir (development codes MK-4482 and EIDD-2801) is an investigational antiviral drug. It is a prodrug of the synthetic nucleoside derivative N4-hydroxycytidine and is a potent ribonucleoside analog that hinders the replication (through the introduction of copying errors) of various RNA viruses, including SARS-CoV-2.

The drug was initially developed at Emory University by the university’s drug innovation company, Drug Innovation Ventures at Emory (DRIVE). It was then acquired by Miami-based company Ridgeback Biotherapeutics. Merck is developing molnupiravir in collaboration with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics.

This drug is currently being studied in a Phase 3 trial to treat non-hospitalized patients with confirmed COVID-19.

Kenneth C. Frazier, chairman, and CEO of Merck said “The scale of human suffering in India at this moment is devastating, and it is clear that more must be done to help alleviate it. These agreements, toward which we have been working as we have been studying molnupiravir, will help accelerate access to molnupiravir in India and worldwide. We remain committed to aiding in the global response that will bring relief to the people of India and, ultimately, bring an end to the pandemic.”

Meanwhile, some other Indian drug manufacturers, such as Natco Pharma and Optimus Pharmaceuticals are conducting or are in advanced stages to conduct Phase III clinical trial on Molnupiravir for use in the treatment of Covid-19 drug.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

twelve − 1 =

Archives

  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • September 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010