Three South Korean pharmaceutical companies have been chosen together with two dozens of other pharmaceutical companies across the world to produce COVID-19 oral drugs developed by Merck. 

The Ministry of Health and Welfare said on Thursday that Hanmi Pharm, Celltrion and Dongbang FTL will produce Molnupirarvir, the U.S. pharmaceutical giant’s experimental antiviral pill to supply 105 mid- and low-income countries. 

The ministry said Hanmi will manufacture both ingredients and final products while Celltrion and Dongbang FTL will produce final products and ingredients, respectively. 

They are among the 27 companies located in 11 countries that the UN-backed Medicines Patent Pool(MPP) sub-licensed as global manufacturers of the Merck pill on Thursday. 

Earlier, Merck had agreed to share its license for the drug with the MPP to expand its access.