Merck In Talks To Possibly Produce COVID-19 Shots
- According to the Wall Street Journal, Merck & Co Inc (NYSE: MRK) is reportedly in talks with governments and companies to potentially help with the manufacturing of COVID-19 vaccines that have already been authorized.
- The supply of COVID-19 shots remains limited, prompting the vaccine-makers such as Pfizer Inc PFE and BioNTech SE BNTX to team up with other companies to fill the gap. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd's TEVA 0.04% Chief Executive Kare Schultz said the company is in talks with companies to help manufacture shots.
- Merck halted the development of its two COVID-19 vaccines in January after early trials showed both vaccines generated immune responses that were inferior to those seen in people who had recovered from COVID-19 as well as those reported for other COVID-19 vaccines.
- Though, Merck has built out its portfolio of COVID-19 medicines through a series of deals in recent months. It includes a $425 million OncoImmune Acquisition, from which the results of a late-stage study is expected by the end of March. Another therapy, oral antiviral dubbed as Ridgeback Biotherapeutics developed molnupiravir, is in Phase 2/3 trial for hospitalized and outpatient COVID-19 patients. Early data from a trial is expected as early as the first quarter.
- Merck had acquired Themis, which is working on a COVID-19 vaccine candidate. It has also collaborated with IAVI, a nonprofit scientific research organization, to develop an investigational vaccine against SARS-CoV-2.
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