Merck Signs Royalty-Free Licensing Agreement for Molnupiravir

Kenilworth: The Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) and Merck have announced the signing of a voluntary licensing agreement to facilitate affordable global access for molnupiravir.
 
Molnupiravir is an investigational oral COVID-19 antiviral medicine for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adults who are at risk for progressing to severe COVID-19 and/or hospitalization. 
 
According to Merck, this agreement will help create broad access for molnupiravir use in 105 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) following appropriate regulatory approvals. 

Under the terms of the agreement, MPP, through the license granted by Merck, will be permitted to further license non-exclusive sublicenses to manufacturers and diversify the manufacturing base for the supply of quality-assured or WHO-prequalified molnupiravir to countries covered by the MPP License, subject to local regulatory authorization. 
 
Merck, Ridgeback Biotherapeutics and Emory University will not receive royalties for sales of molnupiravir under this agreement for as long as COVID-19 remains classified as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization.
 
Merck, Ridgeback Biotherapeutics and Emory University are jointly developing molnupiravir.
 
"Merck’s mission to save and improve lives is a truly global commitment. This agreement with MPP is another important element in our multi-faceted strategy to accelerate broad, affordable access to molnupiravir, if approved or authorized, for patients no matter where they live, including in countries where governments face greater challenges to finance healthcare," Frank Clyburn, Merck's executive vice president and president of Human Health, Merck, said in a press release on Wednesday.
 
MPP is a United Nations (UN) backed public health organization working to increase access to, and facilitate the development of, life-saving medicines for low- and middle-income countries. 
 
Through its innovative business model, MPP partners with civil society, governments, international organizations, industry, patient groups, and other stakeholders, to prioritize and license needed medicines and pool intellectual property to encourage generic manufacture and the development of new formulations. 
 
To date, MPP has signed agreements with eleven patent holders for thirteen HIV antiretrovirals, one HIV technology platform, three hepatitis C direct-acting antivirals, a tuberculosis treatment, a long-acting technology and an experimental oral antiviral treatment for COVID-19. 
 
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