Natco, Biophore Pharma get Nod to Manufacture, Market Molnupiravir

ABS News Services/21.01.2022

Natco Pharma Limited and Biophore India Pharmaceuticals have received the license from the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP), Switzerland, to manufacture and market molnupiravir, a drug that is indicated in several countries in the Covid-19 treatment protocol.

The MPP has got the mandate from the US-based pharma major, Merck, for licensing the manufacturing and marketing rights to pharma countries in different markets.

“With this license agreement, we can manufacture and sell molnupiravir capsules 200 mg in the Indian market. We will sell it under the brand name Molnunat for treatment of Covid-19 infection with SpO2 of more than 93 per cent and who have high risk of progression of the disease including hospitalisation or death,” a Natco statement has said.

Meanwhile, Biophore India Pharmaceuticals, too, said it has received the license to manufacture and market molnupiravir API and the finished product in the form of a capsule.

The company said that the development of the product was completed and was gearing up for launch based on this license within the next one week. “The license enables the company to launch the product within India as well as export to 104 other countries,” it said in a statement on Thursday.

For the Indian market, the company has informed that it has already received the relevant regulatory approvals from DCGI and will be launching the product next week at ₹1,500 for a pack of 40 capsules.

Molnupiravir is an oral antiviral approved through the emergency use authorisation route by the US Food and Drug Administration and UK authorities for the treatment of mild to moderate Covid-19.