Merck to Manufacture its COVID-19 Antiviral Pill in Canada, Company Announces | The Canadian News

Merck has partnered with a pharmaceutical company in Ontario to manufacture its oral COVID-19 antiviral pill in Canada.

Merck, the maker of molnupiravir, which is still under review by Health Canada, announced Monday that it has reached an agreement with Thermo Fisher Scientific in Whitby to manufacture its treatment.

Marwan Akar, President and Managing Director of Merck Canada Inc., told reporters at a press conference that Thermo Fisher will manufacture molnupiravir for distribution in Canada and the United Kingdom, as well as for countries in Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. pending approval in those countries. countries.

“Make no mistake, vaccines are still our main and first line of defense, but we need new tools in the toolbox, and antivirals provide just that,” Akar said.

“This is another way to combat this pandemic, help save lives, accelerate patient recovery and avoid hospitalizations.”

Merck’s announcement comes on the heels of the federal government’s recent agreement with the company to purchase 500,000 courses of its molnupiravir treatment, with the option to add 500,000 more, pending approval.

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The federal government also announced an agreement with Pfizer to purchase one million courses of its oral antiviral treatment, PF-07321332, pending approval from Health Canada.

“As soon as the use of these drugs is authorized, the government will work to get them to the provinces and territories as quickly as possible so that healthcare providers can help Canadians who need them most,” Filomena Tassi, Minister of Services Canadian public and procurement said on Friday.

Merck’s pill is still under review by Health Canada as the company continues its ongoing presentation.

Recently, Merck shared data suggesting that its drug was significantly less effective than previously thought, reducing hospitalizations and deaths in high-risk people by about 30 percent.

The treatment has received approval in the UK.

Cardiologist and epidemiologist Dr. Christopher Labos previously told Global News that antiviral pills could potentially limit the strain of COVID-19 in Canada’s healthcare system by reducing the effects of the virus, but they do not “prevent the problem.”

“It just addresses the problem,” he said. “In terms of preventing outbreaks, vaccines are clearly the best course of action.”

– with files from Reuters and Eric Stober of Global News

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