Brussels: The European Union negotiates with Merck & Co and Pfizer on the possibility of contracts to supply their experimental covid-19 drugs, an EU official tells Reuters, adding that talks with Merck is more advanced.
The two US drug makers have developed antivirus pills that have shown promising efficacy in adult trials with Covid-19 at high risk of serious illness, with pfizer at 89% and Merck around 50%.
“Contacts are taking place with both,” said EU officials with a discussion said on Monday, asking not to be negulated as a confidential negotiation.
Merck talks are more advanced because they have begun to send data to the European Union drug regulator, the official adds.
PFIZER has not sent any data because the initial results of the trial published only last week, a month after the first results of Merck.
A spokesman for the European Commission, who coordinated talks with drug makers in the name of the EU countries, refused to comment on negotiations.
Merck is not immediately available for comments.
Pfizer declined to comment.
EU officials discussed the procurement of Covid-19 drugs at last week’s meeting, the EU source said, emphasizing block 27 member countries want to move as soon as possible to buy new care, but want to have further guarantees about their safety.
So far, the only agreement is for Merck drugs in England.
Both drug care is given for five days.
The Pfizer regimen is for three pills taken in the morning and three at night.
Merck’s is four pills in the morning and four at night.
Asked whether the efficacy shown by the treatment of PFIZER can affect talks with Merck, European Union officials said they could not be compared for now and more data needed.
In a hurry to secure the initial course, the limited two pills were underway.
England has bought 480,000 Merck pill courses and 250,000 Pfizer courses.
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden said last week that the United States had secured “millions” from the Pfizer maintenance course, and also had bought 1.7 million Merck courses.
Australia and several Asian countries have also secured new drug courses or are in the process of doing it.
The Indonesian drug regulator said on Monday that it reviewed Merck pills, ahead of the possibility of purchasing up to 1 million programs next month.
Thailand, who has spoken with Merck to buy 200,000 treatments since October, also in negotiations with Pfizer for the pill, a medical advisor told Reuters.
Pfizer hopes to produce more than 180,000 of his theater courses at the end of 2021, while Merck plans a 10 million course output.
Both of them plan to increase production in 2022.