Five Chinese Companies to Make Merck Covid Pill for Poor Countries

By Jiang Moting, Yin Yushuang and Denise Jia

Merck’s Covid-19 antiviral pill reduces hospitalizations and deaths of high-risk patients by around 30%.

Five Chinese companies are among 27 global generic-drug makers that signed agreements with a United Nations-backed organization to produce versions of Merck & Co.’s Covid-19 antiviral pill for 105 poorer countries.

Fosun Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. (600196.SH), BrightGene Bio-Medical Technology Co. Ltd. (688166.SH), Shijiazhuang Longze Pharmacy Co. Ltd. and Shanghai Desano Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. were authorized to produce both the raw ingredients for Merck’s molnupiravir and the finished product. Zhejiang Langhua Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. will make only the raw ingredients.

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