SOUTH AFRICA – Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Limited, a multinational South African pharmaceutical company, has struck a 10-year vaccine manufacturing deal with the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer Serum Institute of India (SII).
Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Limited (APN) said on its website that one of its wholly-owned South African subsidiaries Aspen SA Operations Limited has inked a deal with the Serum Institute for Aspen SA Operations to manufacture, market and distribute four Aspen-branded routine vaccines in Africa.
Under the deal, Aspen SA Operations will manufacture, market and distribute four Aspen-branded routine vaccines in Africa for a period of ten years excluding certain markets due to the Serum Institute having grated prior rights to third parties.
Aspen will manufacture and make available four Routine Vaccines for Communicable diseases in Africa namely Pneumococcal Vaccine, Rotavirus Vaccine, Poly valent Meningococcal Vaccine and Hexavalent Vaccine.
As recognized by the Partnerships for African Vaccine Manufacturing (“PAVM”), a foundation of consistent, ongoing routine vaccination demand is required to manage the outbreak, epidemic and pandemic vaccine manufacturing capability and capacity needed to support regional and global health security.
Aspen Pharmacare highlighted that the terms of Agreement for the vaccines include a technical transfer and formulation, fill and finish arrangement which grants Aspen SA Operations the rights to manufacture the vaccines from bulk drug substance supplied by the Serum Institute.
The global multinational specialty pharmaceutical company further announced that the vaccines will be produced at Aspen’s manufacturing facility in Gqeberha which has accreditation from a range of stringent international regulatory authorities.
In addition, Aspen SA Operations will make available the four Aspen-branded routine vaccines to markets in Africa particularly through transactions with designated multilateral organisations, national governments of member states of the African Union and other public and private market customers.
“Under the Agreement, Aspen SA Operations has secured a license to the enabling know how from the Serum Institute and there is a good faith undertaking between the Parties to discuss the expansion of the Agreement to include new products or new versions of the Products,” the Aspen Group said.
In addition to the Agreement, Aspen is expected to receive grant funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations to support African regional manufacturing capacity for the affordable supply of vaccines to African countries.
The grant funding will also support Aspen in supplying vaccines to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and United Nations Children’s Fund in a move that will contribute to pandemic preparedness through rights to a share of Aspen’s vaccine manufacturing capacity over a period of ten years.
Stephen Saad, Aspen Group Chief Executive said the anticipated grant funding will complement pharmaceutical company’s previously stated commitment to expand sustainable and durable vaccine manufacturing on the continent to reduce Africa’s global vaccine dependency.
“Aspen is now well-positioned as a first mover to contribute to Continental and, by implication, global health security through the provision of world-class, competitive and proven vaccine manufacturing capability and capacity,” Stephen Saad further said.
Furthermore, the partnership will strengthen Africa’s capacity to manufacture its own life-saving vaccines as well as help build a diversified ecosystem to develop, manufacture and distribute high-quality, low-cost vaccines for low- and middle-income countries.
The partnership will also enhance the African region’s health security as well as secure critically needed vaccine manufacturing capacity in Africa for the African continent aimed at preventing the kind of gross inequities of access to lifesaving vaccines that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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