Merck's COVID-19 pill to be produced by more than two dozen drugmakers

Medicines Patent Pool, an organization supported by the U.N., announced on Thursday that over two dozen generic drug makers will soon begin producing Merck's COVID-19 pill to make the treatment more accessible in developing countries.

The organization said that 27 generic drug makers would produce the pill for 105 developing countries. Specifically, agreements the companies signed allow them to make both molnupiravir's raw ingredients as well as the final product.

Molnupiravir is the COVID-19 treatment developed by Merck and Ridgeback Therapeutics. For patients with early signs of COVID-19, the pill is believed to cut the hospitalization rates in half.

Factbox: Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus Oil fell on Monday after U.S. airlines called off thousands of flights over the Christmas holidays amid surging COVID-19 infections, and China's cases edged higher as Xian tightened curbs on travel within the city on the fifth day of a lockdown of its 13 million people. Reuters Reuters

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