Pfizer Will Allow Generic-Drug Manufacturers To Produce Inexpensive Versions Of Its Covid-19 Pill

<p><strong>New Delhi: </strong>Pfizer Inc. has signed an agreement 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 of the world's population.</p> <p>Pfizer in a statement released on Tuesday said that it will provide a license for the antiviral tablet to the Geneva-based Medicines Patent Pool, allowing generic medicine companies to create the pill for use in 95 countries, accounting for nearly 53% of the global population.</p> <p>However, some significant nations that have had disastrous coronavirus outbreaks are excluded from the agreement.</p> <p>Nonetheless, health experts believe that the agreement was reached even before Pfizer's pill was approved anywhere, which might assist to speed up the end of the pandemic.</p> <p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s quite significant that we will be able to provide access to a drug that appears to be effective and has just been developed, to more than 4 billion people,&rdquo; Esteban Burrone, head of policy at the Medicines Patent Pool was quoted by Associated Press in its report.</p> <p>He predicted that other drugmakers would be able to begin making the tablet in a matter of months, but admitted that the deal will not be popular with everyone.</p> <p>&ldquo;We try to strike a very delicate balance between the interests of the (company), the sustainability required by generic producers, and most importantly, the public health needs in lower and middle-income countries,&rdquo; Burrone further said.</p> <p>According to the provisions of the deal, Pfizer will not collect royalties on sales in low-income countries and will waive royalties on sales in all countries covered by the agreement while COVID-19 remains a public health emergency.</p> <p>Pfizer announced earlier this month that its tablet reduced the risk of hospitalisation and death in persons with mild to moderate coronavirus infections by nearly 90%.&nbsp;</p> <p>Pfizer said it will approach the US Food and Drug Administration and other authorities as soon as possible to have the pill approved.</p> <p><em>(With inputs from AP)</em></p>

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