Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics announced the signing of a long-term supply agreement with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to facilitate broad global access for molnupiravir, an investigational oral antiviral COVID-19 medicine. Under the agreement, Merck will allocate up to 3 million courses of molnupiravir to UNICEF throughout the first half of 2022 for distribution in more than 100 low- and middle-income countries following regulatory authorizations. Merck is developing molnupiravir in collaboration with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics and it has been authorized for use in more than 10 countries, including in the United States, United Kingdom, Japan and Taiwan.
“Merck is delivering on our commitment to make molnupiravir available – widely, quickly and equitably. Through this groundbreaking agreement with UNICEF, millions of patients in more than 100 low- and middle-income countries will gain access to molnupiravir through UNICEF and the ACT Accelerator Therapeutics Partnership in the first half of 2022,” said Robert M. Davis, chief executive officer and president, Merck. “I am proud of the fact that patients in these low- and middle-income countries will gain access at the same time as patients in countries with higher incomes.”
To accelerate broad global access for molnupiravir upon authorization or approval, Merck’s comprehensive supply and access approach includes investing at risk to produce millions of courses of therapy, granting voluntary licenses to generic manufacturers and to the Medicines Patent Pool to help increase affordable, quality-assured supply in the developing world, and entering into supply agreements with governments and other organizations, including this agreement with UNICEF.
“As part of our commitment to ensuring access to critical medicines, we picked Merck as our partner for molnupiravir because of our shared commitment to ensuring global, affordable availability. Molnupiravir, which can be efficiently delivered to low- and middle-income countries, can play a significant role in global efforts to address the pandemic,” said Wendy Holman, chief executive officer, Ridgeback Biotherapeutics. “We are proud of this agreement with UNICEF to help address global health challenges and inequities by making molnupiravir accessible to patients around the world.”
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