Paul Schaper, the company's executive director of global public policy, told AFP that Merck began working on its access strategy from July 2020, long before the efficacy results of the drug it developed with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics were announced in October 2021.
WASHINGTON - US pharmaceutical giant Merck has vowed to avoid the pitfalls of the global COVID vaccine rollout by ensuring its new anti-coronavirus pill is made available in wealthy and poor countries at almost the same time.
These, he said, would be priced according to a tiered framework that is based on a country's ability to pay, as defined by World Bank data. "In first quarter, in second quarter of 2022, we will have a significant amount of product from Merck available in low and middle income countries," Schaper added, without speculating on a combined total between the various strands.
While 51% of the world has now received one or more doses, that figure plunges to 4% of low-income countries, and 3% for the continent of Africa.
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