Aspen Pharmacare will become a major African supplier of Merck’s experimental monthly HIV prevention pill, alimatravir. The agreement depends on the medicine successfully completing clinical trials and receiving regulatory approval.
Merck granted voluntary licenses to seven generic drug manufacturers, including the South African company, to produce and distribute lower-cost versions of the medicine. The drug also goes by its development code, MK-8527.
Merck’s royalty-free agreements cover 129 low- and lower-middle-income countries. Licensed manufacturers will be able to supply patients in both the public and private healthcare sectors.