India's Everest Organics starts making ingredient for Merck's COVID-19 pill (updated)

Everest Organics

12/10/2021 07:39

(Adds quote from statement, Everest shares, background)
    BENGALURU, Oct 12 (Reuters) - India's Everest Organics Ltd
 EVER.BO  said on Tuesday it had started making the active
pharmaceutical ingredient (API) for a generic version of Merck &
Co's  MRK.N  experimental antiviral drug molnupiravir to treat
mild to moderate COVID-19.
    Shares of Everest Organics jumped as much as 11.6% after the
news came in, and were last up 9.9% at 330 rupees in a weak
Mumbai market.
    The Indian bulk drugs manufacturer joins Divi's Laboratories
Ltd  DIVI.NS  as an API maker for Merck's experimental oral
drug. 
    Merck has separately entered into voluntary licensing
agreements with at least eight Indian generic drugmakers for
molnupiravir, with an aim to turn the country into a
manufacturing hub for the drug.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N2R41XX
    "After the successful development and commercialisation of
various COVID-19 drugs such as Oseltamivir, Remdesivir...
Everest Organics is on its path of expansion of this portfolio,"
Chief Executive Officer Srikakarlapudi Sirisha said in a
statement https://bit.ly/3DD49Bn.   
    Merck said on Monday it had sought U.S. emergency use
authorisation for the drug, putting molnupiravir on course to
become the first oral antiviral medication for COVID-19.
 urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N2R720E
    The U.S. authorisation application was based on data
released earlier this month by Merck and partner Ridgeback
Biotherapeutics.
    The data showed molnupiravir nearly halved the risk of
hospitalisation or death in at-risk non-hospitalised patients
with mild-to-moderate COVID-19.
         

 (Reporting by Anuron Kumar Mitra in Bengaluru; Editing by
Subhranshu Sahu)
 ((AnuronKumar.Mitra@thomsonreuters.com; +91 99863 58469;))