Hyderabad Firm Seeks Approval To Produce Generic Merck Covid Pill
NDTV
If granted emergency use approval, the company could scale up production to 80 million capsules a month and is targeting a price of 40 cents per capsule, said D. Srinivasa Reddy, managing director at the Hyderabad-based company.
The bulk drugs manufacturer Optimus Pharma is seeking domestic regulatory approval to produce a generic version of Merck & Co's oral COVID-19 treatment molnupiravir, the company's top executive told Reuters on Thursday.
If granted emergency use approval, the company could scale up production to 80 million capsules a month and is targeting a price of 40 cents per capsule, said D. Srinivasa Reddy, managing director at the Hyderabad-based company.
A treatment course for a patient comprises some 40 capsules, which means the total cost would be around $16. In comparison, Merck has a contract with the U.S. government to supply 1.7 million courses of the drug at a price of $700 per course.
Optimus in May received approval from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) to conduct a late-stage trial with molnupiravir in patients with mild COVID-19.
