Eighteen companies that make generic drugs joined forces with nonprofit Medicines Patent Pool Nov. 12 to expedite access to COVID-19 drugs for countries with less developed industrial bases.
Together, the companies can deliver hundreds of millions of doses of COVID-19 therapies, including conventional drugs and biologics, which include monoclonal antibodies that have shown potential to target the novel coronavirus.
"This unprecedented cooperation from companies that are typically competitors represents a breakthrough in our efforts to level the playing field for access to drugs that will be crucial to controlling and defeating this pandemic," Charles Gore, Medicines Patent Pool's executive director, said in a news release. "These are companies with an excellent track record of working with originators to ensure generic versions of their innovations meet high standards for quality — while answering the need for more affordable, accessible therapies."