March 17 Quick Takes: MPP brings royalty-free Paxlovid to 95 countries

Four months after Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) licensed its COVID-19 antiviral Paxlovid nirmatrelvir/ritonavir to the Medicines Patent Pool, 35 generic manufacturers have agreed to produce low-cost versions of the antiviral for supply in 95 low-and middle-income countries comprising about 53% of the world’s population. Pfizer will not receive royalties from sales of nirmatrelvir from the MPP sublicensees while COVID-19 remains classified as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization. Earlier this month, NIH offered therapeutics, vaccines and diagnostic methods to the COVID-19 Technology Access Pool for licensing through MPP.

Shares of Chinese biotechs rose for a second straight day after Beijing moved to calm markets with assurances that economic growth is the country’s top priority and that progress was being made with the U.S. SEC on a dispute over auditing rules. Fifty-two stocks in the Loncar China BioPharma ETF (NASDAQ:CHNA) gained compared with seven decliners. Hua Medicine Ltd. (HKEX:2552) rose 31% to $3.40, making the diabetes company the biggest gainer...