The US-based pharmaceutical company, Pfizer, has signed an agreement with the Geneva-based Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) to allow generic drug manufacturers to develop its experimental antiviral COVID-19 treatment pill for all developing countries.
The deal will allow the UN-backed MPP to make Pfizer’s landmark pill available in low- and middle-income countries, which account for 53% of the world’s population.
Under the deal, Pfizer will not make any profit from the sales of its pill in these countries. It will not receive any royalty from the sales of its pill all over the world as well until the Coronavirus outbreak remains a pandemic.
Earlier this month, Pfizer published the preliminary results of the highly anticipated clinical trials of its COVID-19 treatment pill called Paxlovid, revealing that the drug reduces the rate of hospitalization and death by 89% in high-risk adults.
On Tuesday, Pfizer also officially submitted the application for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for Paxlovid in the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA has not yet fixed a date to review Pfizer’s pill.
Not The First Anti-COVID Pill
Pfizer isn’t the first pharmaceutical company that has developed an oral antiviral pill for the treatment of COVID-19.
Merck, a US-based pharmaceutical company, announced the results of its experimental antiviral Coronavirus treatment pill and applied for EUA in the US and UK in October. It also allowed generic drug manufacturers to produce and supply its pill in developing countries.
Merck’s pill received EUA in the UK earlier this month, making it the world’s first oral COVID-19 treatment pill to receive regulatory approval. Meanwhile, The FDA will meet on 30 November to review Merck’s pill.
Known as Molnupiravir, Merck’s pill reduces the risk of hospitalization and death by half among high-risk patients infected with mild or moderate Coronavirus infection.
Public health officials around the world are of the view that easy-to-administer antiviral Coronavirus pills can play an important in putting an end to the COVID-19 pandemic as they will prevent people with mild and moderate symptoms of the viral infection from developing severe disease.
