[It seems this will not in any way materially impact the very high margin once a week combo pills, soon to come from Merck and Gilead -- in the EU, US, Canada and Japan -- and so on. That perhaps $100,000 per year regimen is safe from all this. Essentially no one in that income bracket will fly to sub-Saharan Africa, and then try to sneak a one month supply in. Not when insurers will cover the pricier and longer acting (once a week) version.]
And so, Condor predicts. . . this may well become the new era model, for launching high burden disease therapies -- around the globe. Here's the latest, this morning, from Reuters reporting:
. . .Merck said on Friday it signed seven voluntary licensing agreements with generic drug manufacturers to make and sell lower-cost versions of its experimental once-monthly oral HIV pill in 129 low- and lower-middle-income countries.
The drug, alimatravir, is currently in late-stage development. Merck said it is investing early in its product manufacturing capacity as trials continue. . . .
Merck said the agreements are with three sub-Saharan Africa manufacturers -- Aspen Pharmacare, Quality Chemical Industries and UCL -- and four Indian companies, which are Aurobindo, Cipla, Emcure and Viatris. The royalty-free agreements with these companies cover both the public and private sectors and will enable supply of generic alimatravir in these 129 countries that account for a substantial majority of new HIV diagnoses globally, the drugmaker said.
"This is the first time that sub-Saharan African manufacturers have been included in licenses from the very beginning." said Gregg Szabo, head of Merck's global vaccines and infectious diseases unit. Merck is still enrolling patients to test alimatravir, which is expected to provide one month of protection from HIV-1 starting within one hour after dosing. . . .
Excellent news for cutting-edge therapeutic access -- where and when it is most needed. Onward, smiling after a great night out, last night.
नमस्ते
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