Benzinga | Apr 27, 2021 09:07AM EDT

Merck Teams Up With Five Indian Generic Players To Expand COVID-19 Drug Access, Production

* Merck & Co Inc (NYSE: MRK) has partnered with five Indian generic drugmakers to expand production and access to Molnupiravir, its experimental oral therapeutic for the treatment of COVID-19.

* A part of these non-exclusive voluntary licensing agreements includes Cipla Ltd, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd (NYSE: RDY), Emcure Pharmaceuticals Limited, and Hetero Labs Limited.

* The partnership will give the companies license to supply Merck's molnupiravir to India and more than 100 low-and middle-income countries following approvals or emergency authorization by local regulatory agencies.

* Gilead Sciences Inc (NASDAQ: GILD) also came forward to support India amid surging COVID-19 cases. It would give India at least 450,000 vials of its antiviral drug, remdesivir, and help boost production in India.

* Molnupiravir is an antiviral therapy Merck is developing with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics to treat non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

* Last month the companies announced interim Phase 2 data, demonstrating a significant reduction in the infectious virus in COVID-19 patients after five days of treatment.

* Price Action: MRK shares are down 0.09% at $77.53 in premarket trading on the last check Tuesday.