MSD In talks for Licensing its Covid-19 Drug Molnupiravir

The Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) talks with many Indian drug developers to get a voluntary license for the covid-19 treating drug molnupiravir. The MSD aims to participate in the Medicines Patents Pool (MPP) supported by United Nations. According to Rehan A. Khan, the MD of MSD India, if the MSD gets a voluntary license for the drug, it can increase its access to the drug.

MSD is in discussion with many high officials of the Indian drug makers committee and the Medicines Patent Pool.

The U.S.-based company MSD has signed agreements with eight Indian generic drug manufacturers, including Viatris, Torrent Pharmaceuticals, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Hetero Labs, Emcure Pharmaceuticals, and Dr. Reddy Laboratories, Cipla, and Aurobindo Pharma for developing the drug. Currently, the drug is in the third clinical trial in the U.S.

The manufactured drug will be exported to around 100 low to middle-income nations. The drug can effectively treat the patients having mild to moderate symptoms of covid-19. The Indian partners that have collaborated with MSD are authorized to conduct clinical trials in India.The Indian drug manufacturers that have collaborated with MSD will soon get approvals for faster access to molnupiravir in India, Mr. Khan Added. The MSD is planning for emergency submission before the U.S FDA in the second half of 2021. Once the company gets approval for the drug from FDA, other agencies will also authorize the drug.