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United Nations-backed Medicines Patent Pool has granted Beximco Pharmaceuticals a sub-licence to produce a generic version of Pfizer’s Paxlovid, an antiviral drug to be used in Covid-19 treatment.
Under the agreement, Beximco will manufacture this drug in Bangladesh following successful technology transfer and manufacturing regulatory approvals, said Beximco in a statement on Friday.
The sub-licence was granted under a voluntary licencing agreement between Pfizer and MPP to facilitate broader global access to this antiviral combination.
Paxlovid is a combination of Pfizer’s investigational antiviral PF-07321332 and a low dose of ritonavir, an antiretroviral medication traditionally used to treat HIV. It is administered orally.
Earlier in December 2021, the drug was granted for emergency use authorised by the US Food and Drug Administration. It was approved for the treatment of mild-to-moderate Covid-19 in adults and paediatric patients (12 years of age and older), who are at high risk for progression to severe Covid-19.
“We are delighted that MPP has granted Beximco Pharma a sub-licence to produce Pfizer’s breakthrough Covid-19 treatment,” Beximco Pharma Managing Director Nazmul Hassan commented.
“This further collaboration with MPP proves our commitment to providing a broad selection of affordable treatments to combat Covid-19 in low- and middle-income countries, as well as our strong reputation as a producer of high-quality generic medicines,” he added.
On 20 January 2022, Beximco was granted a sub-licence by MPP to produce another Covid-19 drug, Molnupiravir, which was developed by MSD and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics.
