The USA has secured commitments for its Covid-19 investigational drug molnupiravir in a billion-dollar deal with the US pharmaceutical company Merck & Co.
Merck & Co will deliver around 1.7 million units of the antiviral agent to the US government and receive around 1.2 billion dollars (almost one billion euros) for this, the company announced in Kenilworth on Wednesday.
Both sides had agreed on a corresponding agreement.
The prerequisite is that the agent receives emergency approval from the FDA in the USA.
Merck & Co is developing the molnupiravir tablet in collaboration with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics.
The agent is already being researched in an advanced study phase 3 on non-hospitalized patients with Covid-19, in whom at least one risk factor for a serious course has been proven.
So you will be given the drug at an early stage of the disease.
The group had not continued a study with Covid 19 patients who had already been admitted to a clinic.
The drug had been of no use in the case of long-lasting symptoms.
Merck & Co says it has increased its production capacities for the drug and, if approved, expects to be able to deliver more than 10 million units by the end of the year.
The group is also striving to make the drug available worldwide, it said.
Accordingly, emergency approvals should also be applied for outside of the USA.
Talks have already been held with other countries about agreements similar to those with the US government.
In addition, the drug should also be produced under licenses from manufacturers of generic drugs in poorer countries.