Pfizer has completed construction of a Freezer Farm facility at Biovac’s manufacturing plant in Cape Town.
Biovac and Pfizer said in a joint statement that the Freezer Farm would serve as an ultra-cold storage facility to increase vaccine storage capacity.
The partnership between Pfizer and Biovac was established in 2015 to support the establishment of a sustainable supply of Pfizer’s pneumococcal vaccine – a potentially life-saving vaccine for children.
Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel welcomed the development, saying it would improve health security in the region.
“We are pleased that this partnership between government and the private sector has brought to fruition the pledges made by Pfizer at the last South African Investment Conference. To produce life-saving vaccines is a positive development for South Africa as we are currently dependent on the import of human vaccines. The success of this facility can enable greater health security on the African continent,” Patel said.
The Freezer Farm facility is a state-of-the-art 1100sqm, two-storey building that houses 135 ultra-low temperature freezers that allow for the storage of vaccine products up to minus 70 degrees Celsius and, notably, the storage of the locally manufactured Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.
Biovac CEO, Dr Morena Makhoana, said the partnership had enabled South Africa to expand its capabilities to locally produce not only the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, but also the 13 valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. The early childhood pneumococcal conjugate vaccine is one of the largest paediatric vaccines included in South Africa’s Expanded Programme for Immunization and Biovac delivers more than 20 million doses a year.
“This journey has witnessed the full technology transfer of the innovative 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. With the technology transfer completed in 2022, Biovac can locally manufacture and distribute over three million vaccine doses of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate to the National Department of Health annually towards the immunisation of babies,” the companies said.
Overall, Pfizer has invested more than R855 million in Biovac in the form of infrastructure and skills development.
“Pfizer remains resolute in enabling access to quality, affordable healthcare, and one of the most effective ways to do this is through public-private partnerships like this one with Biovac. We embraced the opportunity to get involved in a collaboration that would contribute to the health and wellbeing of South Africans, as well as Africans across the continent,” said Nick Lagunowich, Global President Pfizer Emerging Markets.
According to the companies, research shows that more than 12 500 vaccine-related jobs can be created on the continent by 2040, up from only 3 000 at present.
“Furthermore, it has the potential to see an additional 33 000 jobs being created indirectly by industry suppliers. It is our hope that Pfizer’s investment into Biovac will significantly contribute to these numbers in the coming years,” the companies said.
United States Consul General Todd Haskell said the US government was proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with South Africa in support of US companies such as Pfizer and its South African partner, Biovac. – Sanews.gov.za
