Several dozen generic drug manufacturers have signed this agreement.

"This is a crucial step towards universal access to badly needed Covid-19 treatments and we are confident (...) that these long-awaited treatments will be quickly available in low and middle income countries" , said Charles Gore, the executive director of MPP, quoted in a press release.

The contract signed with 27 companies around the world follows the voluntary license agreement signed with Merck in October 2021 to facilitate affordable global access to molnupiravir, the experimental oral antiviral drug against Covid-19, developed point by the American pharmaceutical group, specifies MPP in its press release.

The agreement gives the successful companies, which meet the strict MPP criteria, the authorization to manufacture either the ingredients in bulk or the drug itself.

Five companies will focus on the manufacture of ingredients, 13 will manufacture ingredients and finished product and 9 only the pill.

These companies are based in 11 countries (Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Jordan, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Pakistan, South Africa, South Korea and Vietnam).

In mid-November, the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer had announced a similar agreement with MPP which allowed manufacturers of licensed generic drugs to supply the new drug in combination with ritonavir (a drug used against the AIDS virus, Editor's note) to 95 countries, covering up to about 53% of the world's population.

The announcement by Merck and Pfizer of these oral treatments for Covid-19 raises a lot of hope for the fight against the pandemic which has already killed more than 5.5 million people according to official figures and probably many more uncounted.

These two antivirals work by decreasing the ability of a virus to replicate, thus curbing the disease.

Easy to administer because they can be taken at home, these treatments are a complement to vaccines, which are currently the most effective way to fight against Covid.

Molnupiravir and Pfizer's treatment, marketed as Paxlovid, should be given within 3 to 5 days of the onset of symptoms.

These treatments are easier to manufacture than vaccines.

They do not require a cold chain and can be taken by the patient at home even if the fact of having to use it quickly supposes that tests are available and that the diagnosis is confirmed by a doctor.

According to the latest clinical data, Merck's pill reduces the risk of hospitalization and death by 30% among the frail population.

Much less than what the laboratory had initially announced.

Pfizer's treatment reduces that same risk by 90%, according to clinical trials.

© 2022 AFP