Drugmaker Natco Pharma Ltd on January 20 announced it has inked an agreement with the Switzerland-based Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) for a non-exclusive license to manufacture and sell anti-COVID pill Molnupiravir.
The deal was signed with MPP as it has taken licence from the US-based Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp (MSD) - which has developed Molnupiravir - for the same, the company said in a statement.
"Natco with this license agreement can manufacture and sell Molnupiravir Capsules 200 mg. for Indian market, which will be sold under brand name MOLNUNAT ® for treatment of COVID-19 infection with Sp02>93% and who have a high risk of progression of the disease including hospitalisation or death," it added.
This agreement allows Natco to expand access to COVID-19 medicines in 105 countries in generic name. Under the licence, the pharmaceutical firm can set its own price for the generic products it produces, paying a royalty on sales to MSD.
"MSD, Ridgeback Biotherapeutics and Emory University will not receive royalties for sales of Molnupiravir under this agreement for as long as COVID-19 remains classified as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization," Natco clarified.
Molnupiravir was cleared for emergency use on December 28 by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI). Earlier, the anti-COVID pill was cleared for restricted use by the UK drug regulator on November 4 and was subsequently approved for emergency use in the United States.
The Indian Council of Medical Research, however, has so far not included Molnupiravir in the clinical management protocol for COVID-19 due to safety concerns. The Union health ministry on January 12 said the drug has risks and warrants caution in use.
According to Merck, which released data on Molnupiravir's trials in October, the drug demonstrated highly promising results in reducing viral load to almost zero in merely five days of treatment duration.
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