Health: Gates Foundation to spend $120M on access for Covid-19 pill – Gulf Digital News

Health: Gates Foundation to spend $120M on access for Covid-19 pill – Gulf Digital News

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation said on Wednesday it would spend up to $120 million to kick-start development of generic versions of Merck & Co's oral Covid-19 treatment to help ensure lower-income countries have equal access to the drug.

The aim is to reduce the gap between when wealthy countries have access to the antiviral medicine, molnupiravir, and when the rest of the world can benefit from it.

"To end this pandemic, we need to ensure that everyone, no matter where they live in the world, has access to life-saving health products," Melinda French Gates, co-chair of the Gates Foundation, said in a statement.