The Medicines Patent Pool signed agreements March 17 with 35 generic drugmakers to manufacture Paxlovid, Pfizer's COVID-19 antiviral pill, to advance the drug's accessibility in 95 developing countries.
The agreement allows the generic drugmakers to produce raw ingredients for Paxlovid and the finished product. Six of the drugmakers will focus on producing the raw ingredients, nine will focus on producing the finished drug, and 20 will produce both.
"The MPP sublicensees and the additional capacity for COVID-19 treatment they will supply will play a critical role to help ensure that people everywhere, particularly those living in the poorest parts of the world, have equitable access to an oral treatment option against COVID-19," Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, PhD, said in a news release.
The Medicines Patent Pool is a United Nations-backed organization that partners with multiple stakeholders to increase global access and development of lifesaving medicines. In January, the organization signed a similar deal with Merck, which allowed 27 generic drugmakers to manufacture Merck's COVID-19 pill molnupiravir.
Paxlovid became the first available at-home COVID-19 treatment in December when the FDA authorized the pill's use in COVID-19 patients who are at high-risk of developing severe illness.