The U.N.-backed Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) said Thursday that 35 global firms have agreed to manufacture the generic version of Pfizer’s oral COVID-19 drug, Paxlovid, for distribution in 95 low-and middle-income countries. Paxlovid is a combination of two antiviral drugs–nirmatrelvir, which blocks the virus from replicating, and ritonavir–which slows down nirmatrelvir’s breakdown to help it remain in the body for a longer period of time. MPP stated that the 35 companies were offered non-exclusive sublicenses, which will allow them to produce the raw ingredients for nirmatrelvir and the drug, based on their production capacity, regulatory compliance, and international standards. “Nirmatrelvir is a new product and requires substantial manufacturing capabilities to produce, and we have been very impressed with the quality of manufacturing demonstrated by these companies,” MPP’s executive director Charles Gore said in a statement. The 35 companies are based in 12 countries: Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Dominican Republic, Jordan, India, …