The Gates Foundation will allocate up to US$120 million to help lower-income countries get an experimental COVID-19 drug being developed by US drugmaker Merck & Co in the battle against Coronavirus, it said on Wednesday (Oct 20).

The money will support efforts to develop and make generic versions of what could become the first oral antiviral medication for the disease if it wins regulatory approval, the foundation said in a statement.

"Today's commitment will ensure that more people in more countries get access to the promising drug molnupiravir, but it's not the end of the story - we need other donors, including foundations and governments, to act," co-chair Melinda French Gates said.

Merck is developing the antiviral pill along with partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics to treat coronavirus infections that range from mild to moderate in severity, and sought US emergency use authorisation for the drug this month.

The step comes as low- and middle-income countries struggle to secure life-saving vaccines and treatments for COVID-19, particularly in Africa, where just about 5 per cent of the population is immunised.

(Reuters)