US Drug-maker to Share Its COVID-19 Pill with Poor Countries

The company is asking health officials in the United States and around the world to approve the pill for treatment of coronavirus infections.

But molnupiravir could be the first pill approved for the treatment of COVID-19.

A pill can be taken at home and is easier to send around the world.

Charles Gore is the Executive Director of MPP.

Gore said the pill is an “important tool” to help deal with the current health crisis.

He said he hoped the agreement will lead to others.

The non-profit group Doctors Without Borders, also known as MSF, welcomed the agreement to share Merck's COVID-19 pill.

But it said the license “doesn't go far enough.”

She said the license does not include nearly half of the world's population in countries like Brazil and China.

The two also have “strong, established capacity to produce and supply antiviral medicines.”

Hu noted the license would also limit “the production and supply of more affordable and available generic molnupiravir.”

Merck said earlier that it could produce 10 million treatments of the pill this year.

The treatment requires two pills a day for five days.

The U.S. has already purchased 1.7 million treatments at the cost of $700 each.

The company is also working with several Indian companies to license cheaper, generic versions of molnupiravir for low- and middle-income countries.

Chan School of Public Health estimated that a generic version could cost less than $20 for each treatment.

Last week, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced that it would spend up to $120 million to help develop generic versions of molnupiravir.