1. Pink Sheet
  2. >>Legal & IP

Merck’s Molnupiravir Open License With Medicines Patent Pool May Be Model

 
• By Brenda Sandburg

Pharma industry critics herald the agreement for allowing many manufacturers around the world to make the COVID-19 therapeutic and for its transparency. If Merck can do it, they ask, why can’t other companies?

Molnupiravir
Merck licenses its COVID-19 drug molnupiravir to the Medicines Patent Pool • Source: Alamy

Merck & Co., Inc.’s licensing agreement with the Medicines Patent Pool to provide global access to its investigational COVID-19 therapeutic molnupiravir is being praised by industry critics for its transparency and breadth. They view it as a model for future licensing of COVID products.

Merck and the United Nations-backed Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) announced the signing of the voluntary licensing agreement on 27 October, noting that it will help provide access to molnupiravir in...

Read the full article – start your free trial today!

Join thousands of industry professionals who rely on Pink Sheet for daily insights

  • Start your 7-day free trial
  • Explore trusted news, analysis, and insights
  • Access comprehensive global coverage
  • Enjoy instant access – no credit card required
Start Free Trial

Already a subscriber?

More from Legal & IP

Europe’s UPC Issues Landmark Ruling On Second Medical Use Claims

 
• By Neena Brizmohun

The verdict by the Unified Patent Court in the dispute between Sanofi/Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Amgen explains what companies should look out for when deciding whether infringement has taken place when it comes to second medical use patents.

Life After Loper: Vaping Case Shows US FDA Retains Considerable Deference

 
• By Craig Bleifer, Royce DuBiner, Max Bogost, Michael Brody, and Allyson Maur

A US Supreme Court ruling in favor of the agency in an e-cigarette case has implications for drugs and other medical products as the justices decided not to disturb the FDA’s ‘change in position’ authority, while also creating a complex new landscape.

HHS Secretary Kennedy Says Trump Will Make Final Decision On Mifepristone Policy

 
• By Derrick Gingery

With an FDA review ongoing, Kennedy’s admission, made during a Senate hearing on the Health and Human Services Department’s budget request, suggests political officials could supersede scientific decisions.

Medicare Negotiation Does Not Violate Due Process, Appeals Court Rules, Other Suits At Risk

 
• By Cathy Kelly

Decision in AstraZeneca’s lawsuit against the Health and Human Services Department is a precedent-setting victory for the government and a blow to manufacturer efforts to block the price negotiation program.

More from Pink Sheet

EU To Track Decentralized Clinical Trials In CTIS To Support Innovation

 
• By Vibha Sharma

Monitoring the use of decentralized elements in clinical trials is a priority for the European medicines regulatory network.

Why Hympavzi Secured English Funding For Hemophilia B But Not Hemophilia A

 
• By Neena Brizmohun

Pfizer told the Pink Sheet it would work with the health technology assessment institute, NICE, with the hope of making Hympavzi available to patients with hemophilia A via the National Health Service.

Europe’s UPC Issues Landmark Ruling On Second Medical Use Claims

 
• By Neena Brizmohun

The verdict by the Unified Patent Court in the dispute between Sanofi/Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Amgen explains what companies should look out for when deciding whether infringement has taken place when it comes to second medical use patents.