Aspen Pharmacare Holdings, the multinational speciality pharmaceutical company, will receive $30 million (R521.9m) from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to support the manufacture of routine and outbreak vaccines for Africa.
The funding, $15m from each organisation, will support a 10-year agreement between Aspen and Serum Institute of India that aims to expand the supply and sourcing of affordable vaccines manufactured in Africa.
Through the partnership with Serum Institute, Aspen will manufacture and distribute four routine vaccines in Africa – the pneumococcal, rotavirus, polyvalent meningococcal and hexavalent vaccines – with technology transfer activities starting early next year.
The funding will also help sustain regional vaccine manufacturing capacity at Aspen, with the intention of securing early access to African-produced vaccines in the event of a future public health emergency.
Aspen CEO Stephen Saad said in a statement that the commitment by CEPI and the Gates Foundation, in partnership with Serum, was an important first step in ensuring expanded and enduring equitable access to a pipeline of medicines and vaccines manufactured in Africa for Africans.
“Aspen has a proven capability of being at the forefront of pandemic preparedness for the continent – from ARVs to Covid vaccines. This support will ensure we can continue to invest and expand our capacities, secure in the knowledge of future off-takes,” he said.
CEPI CEO Dr Richard Hatchett said the urgent need to diversify vaccine manufacturing so every region could manage its own health security was one of the most significant lessons from the inequity of the Covid-19 pandemic response.
BUSINESS REPORT