Local pharmaceutical manufacturer, Biovac, is partnering with United States-based medications giant, Pfizer, in a deal that will allow SA to stop importing an expensive pneumonia vaccine for infants and start manufacturing it in South Africa.
Minister of Science and Technology, Naledi Pandor, made this announcement at Biovac’s Cape Town manufacturing facility yesterday (Tuesday), noting that vaccine prices had sky-rocketed over the last decade,
“There won’t be an immediate saving because we will still continue to import until the vaccine is ready for local distribution in about five years’ time,” Pandor said.
The South Africa’s government holds a 47.5% stake in Biovac, which currently supplies over 25 million doses of vaccines a year to fight a range of diseases, including tuberculosis and polio.
According to Pandor, the deal will include transferring upgraded technology and skills from Pfizer to Biovac.
Pfizer country manager, Jennifer Power, said in a statement that the technology transfer would take place over the next five years. “It will include the packaging of labelled syringes first before manufacturing is expected to start in 2020,” she said.
