Factbox: Countries rush to buy Merck experimental COVID-19 pill

Merck has signed eight deals to sell more than a total of 2 million courses of its experimental COVID-19 pill molnupiravir to governments around the world as countries scramble to tame the virus. It has applied for approval in the United States and said it can make 10 million courses in 2021. Last week the company reached a deal with the United Nations-backed Medicines Patent Pool that will allow more companies to manufacture generic versions of the pill with a royalty-free license applying to 105 low- and middle-income countries. So far Merck has agreed to license the drug to several India-based generic drugmakers.