Merck Canada expands manufacturing of an antiviral medicine for COVID-19 treatment
Maryam Farag
Health & Safety Manufacturing antiviral Canada COVID-19 Economy government health and safety manufacturer manufacturing medicine treatment
From left: Marwan Akar, President and Managing Director, and Jennifer Chan, Vice-President, Government Affairs, from Merck Canada Inc., François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, Victor Fedeli, Ontario Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, and Ryan Turnbull, Member of Parliament for Whitby, Ontario.
Photo: Merck Canada Inc.
Merck has entered into an agreement with Thermo Fisher Scientific to manufacture Molnupiravir; Merck’s investigational oral antiviral medicine for the treatment of COVID-19.
Molnupiravir is being developed by Merck in collaboration with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics.
Thermo Fisher’s manufacturing site in Whitby, Ont., will manufacture Molnupiravir for distribution in Canada and the U.K. as well as markets in the European Union, Asia Pacific and Latin America, pending local market approvals.
“We are honoured to be partnering with the federal and provincial governments in support of our country’s preparedness against COVID-19. We can learn from this experience and apply the same determination to grow the life sciences sector more broadly, to help fight the world’s health challenges,” said Marwan Akar, President and Managing Director, Merck Canada.
Merck also announced that it has entered into a supply agreement with the Government of Canada for Molnupiravir, where the Government has secured access to 500,000 patient courses, with options for up to 500,000 more in 2022.
“Thermo Fisher is proud to join Merck’s global manufacturing network to provide support for the production of its investigational oral treatment for COVID-19,” said Michelle Logan, Vice-President, Drug Product North America, Thermo Fisher Scientific.
