Pfizer Allows Generic Manufacturing of COVID-19 Oral Antiviral Treatment

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Buaeri] Global pharmaceutical company Pfizer has allowed the manufacture of generic versions of its pill-form COVID-19 treatment to supply impoverished countries.

On the 16th, Pfizer signed a licensing agreement with the United Nations-supported medical organization, the "Medicines Patent Pool (MPP)," permitting the production of generic versions of the pill-form COVID-19 antiviral, according to reports from AP News and others.

Under this agreement, generic manufacturers can produce generic versions of the COVID-19 pill treatment, which Pfizer plans to market under the brand name "Paxlovid," and supply them to 95 low- and middle-income countries worldwide, representing 53% of the global population.

Pfizer has stated that it will not collect royalties from impoverished countries among the licensed nations.

Previously, Pfizer announced that its pill-form COVID-19 antiviral reduces the risk of hospitalization and death by up to 89%.

Pfizer is preparing to submit an application for approval of this medication.

Esteban Burrone, Head of Policy at MPP, said, "It is very meaningful that 4 billion people can now access a newly developed medicine that appears to be highly effective."

However, Pfizer excluded countries with severe COVID-19 situations, such as Brazil, from the list of nations allowed to manufacture generics.

AP News reported that while Pfizer rejected international demands to share COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing technology, it contrasted this by permitting the production of the pill technology in impoverished countries.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.