Sinopharm to sell Merck & Co's COVID-19 antiviral in China

Merck & Co (NYSE: MRK) and the China National Pharmaceutical Group - known as Sinopharm - have signed a cooperation framework agreement.

The deal will see the US pharma giant grant Sinopharm the distribution and exclusive import rights of the coronavirus drug, molnupiravir. Merck markets the oral antiviral product under the trade name Lagevrio, having jointly developed it alongside privately-held US biotech Ridgeback Biotherapeutics.

Globally, molnupiravir has obtained marketing authorization or emergency use authorization in more than 40 countries or regions including the USA, the European Union, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. As of the end of August 2022, Merck had supplied more than 8.6 million courses of the treatment to more than 30 markets around the world, treating more than 1.8 million patients.