Natco Tests Compassionate Use Window In India For Merck’s COVID Pill

Merck steps in to seal voluntary licensing deals with five Indian firms

Natco seeks emergency approval in India for investigational therapy molnupiravir, currently being developed by Merck & Co for the treatment of non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The firm has linked its request to compassionate use amid a ferocious surge in COVID-19 cases in India, posing a potentially delicate choice for the regulator.

Will India Consider Compassionate Use Of Molnupiravir? • Source: Alamy

The Indian company Natco Pharma Limited has created a flutter in seeking an emergency go-ahead in India for molnupiravir, an investigational antiviral being pursued by Merck & Co., Inc. for the treatment of COVID-19.

Natco’s move is seen as combative by some given that Merck doesn’t appear to have partnered with the Indian firm...

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