Merck, Ridgeback Say British Govt. Agrees To Procure Further 1.75 Mln Molnupiravir Pills

(RTTNews) - American pharmaceutical companies Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK), and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics said Wednesday that the UK Government has agreed to purchase additional 1.75 million patient courses of molnupiravir or MK-4482. Molnupiravir is an investigational oral antiviral Covid-19 medicine, which is to be sold under the trademark Lagevrio in the UK. With the additional procurement deal, which follows a previously announced agreement for 0.48 million courses of the drug, the British government has now committed to buy a total of 2.23 million courses of molnupiravir.

Merck said it has entered into advance purchase and supply agreements for the pills with Governments of over 30 countries worldwide, including 21 agreements with countries in Europe.

Merck aims to produce 10 million courses of molnupiravir by the end of 2021, with at least 20 million courses to be produced in 2022. Till date, Merck has shipped molnupiravir to 12 countries.