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.

該公司正在請求美國和世界各地的衛生官員核准這種藥丸用於治療冠狀病毒感染。

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

但莫努匹韋可能成為首個獲准用於治療新冠肺炎的口服藥丸。

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

藥丸可以在家服用，而且更容易運往世界各地。

Charles Gore is the Executive Director of MPP.

查爾斯·戈爾是MPP的執行主任。

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

戈爾說，這種藥丸是幫助應對當前衛生危機的「重要工具」。

He said he hoped the agreement will lead to others.

他說，他希望這項協議能帶動其他協議。

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

非營利組織無國界醫生（MSF）對分享默克公司新冠藥丸的協議表示歡迎。

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

但該組織表示，這項授權「做得還不夠」。

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

她說，這項授權沒有涵蓋巴西和中國等國家近一半的世界人口。

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

這兩個國家還擁有「生產和供應抗病毒藥物的強大且成熟的能力」。

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

胡指出，這項授權還會限制「更實惠、更易取得的學名藥莫努匹韋的生產和供應」。

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

默克公司稍早表示，今年可以生產1000萬個療程的這種藥丸。

The treatment requires two pills a day for five days.

該療程需要每天服用兩顆，連續服用五天。

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

美國已經以每個療程700美元的價格購買了170萬個療程。

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

該公司還在與幾家印度公司合作，為中低收入國家授權生產更便宜的莫努匹韋學名藥。

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

陳曾熙公共衛生學院估計，學名藥每個療程的價格可能不到20美元。

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

上週，比爾及梅琳達·蓋茲基金會宣布將斥資最多1.2億美元，幫助開發莫努匹韋的學名藥。