New Delhi: Pfizer Inc. has signed a deal with a United Nations-backed initiative to allow other companies to manufacture its experimental COVID-19 tablet, potentially bringing the therapy to more than half the world’s population.
Pfizer said in a statement Tuesday that it would license the antiviral tablet to the Geneva-based Medicines Patent Pool, allowing generic drug companies to make the pill for use in 95 countries, which account for about 53% of the global population. Is. ,
However, some important nations that have had a devastating coronavirus outbreak have been left out of the agreement.
Nonetheless, health experts believe a settlement was reached before Pfizer’s pill was approved anywhere, which could help hasten the end of the pandemic.
“It is quite important that we will be able to provide access to a drug that appears to be effective and that has just been developed, to more than 4 billion people,” said Esteban Buron, head of policy at the Medicines Patent Pool. was quoted by the Associated Press. in its report.
He predicted that other drugmakers would start making tablets within a few months, but acknowledged that the deal wouldn’t be popular with everyone.
“We try to strike a very delicate balance between (the company’s) interests, the stability needed by ordinary producers, and most importantly, the public health needs in low- and middle-income countries,” Buron continued.
Per the provisions of the deal, Pfizer will not collect royalties on sales in low-income countries and waive royalties on sales in all countries involved in the agreement, while COVID-19 remains a public health emergency.
Pfizer announced earlier this month that its tablet reduced the risk of hospitalization and death by nearly 90% in individuals with mild to moderate coronavirus infection.
Pfizer said it would contact the US Food and Drug Administration and other officials as soon as possible to get the pill approved.
(with inputs from AP)
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