Molnupiravir: Countries rush to buy Merck experimental COVID-19 pill

Merck has signed eight deals to sell more than a total of 2 million courses of its experimental COVID-19 pill molnupiravir to governments around the world as countries scramble to tame the virus.

It has applied for approval in the United States and said it can make 10 million courses in 2021.

Molnupiravir: Here is what you need to know about COVID-19 pill 

Last week the company reached a deal with the United Nations-backed Medicines Patent Pool that will allow more companies to manufacture generic versions of the pill with a royalty-free license applying to 105 low- and middle-income countries. So far Merck has agreed to license the drug to several India-based generic drugmakers.

The following table lists countries that already expressed interest in the pill, sorted alphabetically:

COUNTRY VOLUME PRICE TIMING OF SOURCE

DELIVERY

Australia 300,000 doses nL1N2R02UO

EU nL1N2R80ZA

France 50,000 doses nP6N2Q901D

Indonesia nL4N2RL2KW

Malaysia 150,000 courses nL1N2R306L

Philippines 300,000 courses 100-150 pesos November 2021 nL4N2RN2GN

($1.97-$2.96) per

pill

Singapore nL1N2R305J

South Korea 20,000 courses nL4N2R21J1

Thailand 200,000 courses nL1N2R00D9

UK nL8N2QX3RK

U.S. 1,700,000 courses $700 per course nL1N2R00D9

About

Molnupiravir (MK-4482/EIDD-2801) is an investigational, orally administered form of a potent ribonucleoside analog that inhibits the replication of SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19. Molnupiravir has been shown to be active in several preclinical models of SARS-CoV-2, including for prophylaxis, treatment, and prevention of transmission. Additionally, pre-clinical and clinical data have shown molnupiravir to be active against the most common SARS-CoV-2 variants. Molnupiravir was invented at Drug Innovations at Emory (DRIVE), LLC, a not-for-profit biotechnology company wholly owned by Emory University, and is being developed by Merck & Co., Inc. in collaboration with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics. Ridgeback received an upfront payment from Merck and also is eligible to receive contingent payments dependent upon the achievement of certain developmental and regulatory approval milestones. Any profits from the collaboration will be split between the partners equally. Since licensed by Ridgeback, all funds used for the development of molnupiravir have been provided by Merck and by Wayne and Wendy Holman of Ridgeback.

Molnupiravir is also being evaluated for post-exposure prophylaxis in MOVe-AHEAD, a global, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 3 study, which is evaluating the efficacy and safety of molnupiravir in preventing the spread of COVID-19 within households.