United Nations-backed Medicines Patent Pool has expanded its network of partnered generic manufacturers to include country’s leading manufacturer and exporter of medicines Beximco Pharmaceuticals.

Under the partnership, the company becomes one of the first Bangladeshi companies to be granted a sub-license by the MPP to produce molnupiravir, an oral drug for the treatment of Covid-19, originally developed by MSD, a trade name of Merck and Co, Inc, Kenilworth, NJ, USA, and in partnership with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics.

Molnupiravir is an oral antiviral to treat symptomatic Covid-19, which received conditional marketing authorisation in the UK from the UK Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency and received Emergency Use Authorisation in the US from the US Food and Drug Administration.

Beximco Pharma will manufacture molnupiravir in Bangladesh and expects to start domestic distribution and export from the end of 2022, said a press release.

Beximco Pharma managing director Nazmul Hassan said, ‘Since the start of the pandemic, we have remained committed to improving access to breakthrough Covid-19 treatments for the patients. We are delighted to have been granted a sub-license to produce molupiravir by the Medicines Patent Pool.’