In an unusual move, 18 big generic drug makers have pledged to work with a leading nonprofit organization to accelerate access to Covid-19 treatments for low- and middle-income countries.
The idea is to encourage brand-name drug makers to negotiate deals to either license rights to their medicines or, where licenses are unnecessary, make it possible to increase manufacturing capacity, according to the Medicines Patent Pool, a United Nations-backed agency that works with the pharmaceutical industry to widen access to medicines and that helped organized the effort.
“This unprecedented cooperation from companies that are typically competitors represents a breakthrough in our efforts to level the playing field for access to drugs that will be crucial to controlling and defeating this pandemic,” said Charles Gore, the Medicines Patent Pool executive director, in a statement. He noted the goal is to target both new and repurposed treatments to combat Covid-19.
Separately, Gore told us that the generic companies would not be seeking exclusive licenses. At the same time, the companies may collaborate in instances where, for example, one drug maker needs active pharmaceutical ingredient that is made by another company. The goal is to find ways for companies to compete, while also cooperating to provide desperately needed supplies.
“The pledge is about having enormous manufacturing capacity,” he told us. “Ideally, what you want is two or three companies operating in each country to drive prices down. But it has to be done simultaneously done and it has to be done now… This could be a really important part of the puzzle in trying to ensure equitable access in low and middle-income countries.”
The Medicines Patent Pool has a track record of arranging voluntary licenses between brand-name drug makers and generic companies to widen access to HIV and hepatitis C medicines, for instance. Gore is hoping the organization can leverage its experience and relationships to jump start negotiations that could create voluntary license agreements for Covid-19 medical products.
In their pledge, the 18 generic drug makers maintain that they have a proven track record of successfully manufacturing generic medicines and many have previously worked with the Medicines Patent Pool to make 15 billion doses of HIV and hepatitis C medicines available and affordable in low and middle-income countries.
“The majority of brand-name pharmaceutical companies outsource significant manufacturing activity… for their drug substances and drug product requirements,” said Satyanarayana Chava, chief executive officer at Laurus Labs, which is based in India. “Global manufacturing alliances during these crisis times will certainly help governments and local health authorities… to combat the Covid-19 virus successfully.”
-Agencies
