NAIROBI, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- A coalition representing 18 generic drugs manufacturers on Thursday pledged to promote access to COVID-19 treatments in low-income countries grappling with surging infections and fatalities.
The coalition of generic drugs manufacturers pledged to leverage collaboration, technical expertise and knowledge of global supply chains to promote access to COVID-19 therapeutics in developing countries.
"We affirm our joint engagement and offer our capacity to develop and supply COVID-19 treatments -- re-purposed, new, small molecules and biologics -- to those in need," said the manufacturers in a joint pledge.
The generic manufacturers said that a conducive regulatory environment is key to speeding up distribution of low-cost therapeutics for managing the pandemic in low-income countries.
The pharmaceutical companies said in a joint statement issued in Nairobi that they will rally behind the United Nations-backed Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) to hasten access to new therapeutics for managing the pandemic in the global south.
"This unprecedented cooperation from companies that are typically competitors represents a breakthrough in our efforts to level the playing field for access to drugs that will be crucial to controlling and defeating this pandemic," said Charles Gore, executive director of the MPP.
He said the pledge by generic drugs manufacturers to produce large volumes of high-quality COVID-19 treatment will encourage firms currently developing new therapies to negotiate agreements that allow manufacturing of generic options in low-income countries.
Phillippe Duneton, executive director of international health initiative Unitaid, said that strategic public-private partnership is key to improving access to therapeutics that have proved effective in taming the pandemic.
"Making sure there is enough supply capacity of potential game-changing treatments for COVID-19 is critical to ensure equitable access in low- and middle-income countries," said Duneton.
Using the proven MPP model to ensure access to effective and affordable health solutions not only makes sense in this COVID-19 emergency but is the right thing to do, he added. Enditem
