Five Chinese companies join UN’s MPP for Covid-19 medicines

Genéricos/Novedades | Posted 22/04/2022 post-comment

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Five pharmaceutical companies in China have signed up to the United Nation’s (UN) Medicine Patent Pool (MPP) which will allow them to produce generic versions of Pfizer's oral COVID-19 treatment, Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir/ritonavir), for distribution in 95 low- and middle-income countries, approximately 53 per cent of the world's population.

The five companies are Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceutical Co, Apeloa Pharmaceutical, Fosun Pharma, Zhejiang Jiuzhou Pharmaceutical Co, Shanghai Desano and Pharmaceuticals Co. Four of the companies have signed agreements to produce and supply raw ingredients and the finished product, whereas Zhejiang Jiuzhou is only licensed for the former. They join 30 other companies, including South Korea’s Celltrion [1], already signed up to make Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir/ritonavir) as part of the MPP.

The five Chinese companies are among 35 global drugmaker lined up by the MPP to make the generic version of Pfizer's oral COVID-19 treatment, Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir/ritonavir).

Pfizer signed the MPP to allow generic production of antiviral nirmatrelvir, co-packaged with ritonavir, that has the brand name Paxlovid, in late 2021. It joined Merck & Co Inc (also known as MSD Pharmaceuticals), whose investigational oral COVID-19 antiviral, molnupiravir, is also part of the MPP [2].

The MPP license agreements have been devised to help facilitate fast access to COVID-19 treatments across the globe. The agreements, which also include technology transfer, will remain royalty-free so long as the World Health Organization classifies the pandemic as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern [2].

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LATIN AMERICAN FORUM The new section of the ‘Latin American Forum’ on GaBI has been launched. The objective of this new section is to provide you with all the latest news and updates on developments of generic and biosimilar medicines in Latin America in Spanish. View this week’s headline article: Nomenclatura de biológicos y biosimilares en Chile Browse the news in the Latin American Forum! Register to receive the GaBI Latin American Forum newsletter. Inform colleagues and friends of this new initiative. LATIN AMERICAN FORUM Se ha lanzado la nueva sección del ‘Foro Latinoamericano’ sobre GaBI. El objetivo de esta nueva sección es brindarle las últimas noticias y actualizaciones sobre desarrollos de medicamentos genéricos y biosimilares en América Latina en español. Vea el artículo principal de esta semana: Nomenclatura de biológicos y biosimilares en Chile !Explore las noticias en el Foro Latinoamericano! Regístrese para recibir el boletín informativo GaBI Foro Latinoamericano. Informe a colegas y amigos sobre esta nueva iniciativa.

References
1. GaBI Online - Generics and Biosimilars Initiative. South Korean companies to make generic Bridion and COVID-19 drugs [www.gabionline.net]. Mol, Belgium: Pro Pharma Communications International; [cited 2022 Apr 22]. Available from:
www.gabionline.net/generics/news/south-korean-companies-to-make-generic-bridion-and-covid-19-drugs
2. GaBI Online - Generics and Biosimilars Initiative. MPP agreements allow generics production of Merck and Pfizer’s COVID-19 treatments [www.gabionline.net]. Mol, Belgium: Pro Pharma Communications International; [cited 2022 Apr 22]. Available from: www.gabionline.net/generics/general/mpp-agreements-allow-generics-production-of-merck-and-pfizer-s-covid-19-treatments

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Novedades

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