The Egyptian Drug Authority announced granting an emergency use license for the “Molnupiravir” drug, after passing the necessary assessments to deepen the localization of the pharmaceutical industry in Egypt.
According to the authority’s statement, thanks to the continuous cooperation between the Egyptian Drug Authority and various state institutions and industry partners, Egypt will be the first country in the Middle East to issue an emergency registration license for a coronavirus drug – a global leap in the pharmaceutical industry locally.
“Molnupiravir” is the first oral coronavirus treatment for adults at high risk, the authority explained, cutting the threat of hospitalization and death by half for mild to moderate cases.
The drug will be restricted to hospitals only to ensure that it is used under full medical supervision.
The authority confirmed that approval took place in less than a month after the product obtained the emergency use license from the global regulatory authorities such as the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Authority.
The authority announced that the product will be manufactured locally by five local companies at first.
Egypt was the first country in the Middle East to locally manufacture remdesivir and favipiravir coronavirus drugs as well, and to achieve self-sufficiency in them and export the drug to various other countries.
The authority indicated that it has been striving since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis to provide all available and emerging treatments quickly, which contributed to the availability of protocol medicines, without any shortage of supply .
