WASHINGTON: The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation recently announced that it would pledge up to $120 million to encourage manufacturing Merck’s COVID-19 Oral Drug’s generic versions to help lower-income nations gain better access to the potentially life-saving medication.
To break that glass ceiling where first-world countries have access to the Molnupiravir, the antiviral medication, and the rest of the world can benefit from it, that is the aim of this decision by the non-profit.
“For this pandemic to end, everyone should have access to life-saving treatments and resources. No matter where they are on this Earth. “, stated Melinda French-Gates, co-chairperson of the Gates Foundation.
The investment will be utilized to ensure pharmaceutical manufacturers speed up the generic Molnupiravir production and fund and prepare local markets for distribution, elaborated Trevor Mundel, President of Global Health, Gates Foundation.
Clinical trials for Merck’s pill have showcased that it can significantly reduce the risk of severity and fatality from COVID-19 when administered earlier during disease onset, almost by 50 per cent.
“The funding would help kickstart the manufacturing process. But ultimately, the total cost for launching generic Molnupiravir globally can go up to $500 million. This is where global funders are going to have to commit and help,” Mundel said.
Merck has registered Molnupiravir for emergency use authorization (EUA) with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and production has been ongoing for months. If the EUA grant goes through, the drug could be available as early as December.
Mundel explained that the Gates Foundation has worked with partners to make the drug synthesis process more streamlined and straightforward in the HIV campaigns before. This lessened the steps involved and helped reduce the cost of the product. At least five of the authorized generic pharmaceutical manufacturers have said they intend to do the same with the COVID-19 pill as well.
He added that the pill would be much easier to administer in lower income countries than injectable antivirals and also be helpful should a new virus variant arise that defeats vaccine immunity.