Aspen Pharmacare has concluded a ten-year agreement with Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine producer, for Aspen SA operations to manufacture, market and distribute four Aspen-branded routine vaccines in Africa, excluding certain markets due to the Serum Institute having grated prior rights to third parties.
Serum Institute of India grants permission to Aspen Pharmacare manufacture, market and distribute four vaccines which are Pneumococcal Vaccine, Rotavirus Vaccine, Poly valent Meningococcal Vaccine and Hexavalent Vaccine that include a technical transfer and formulation, fill and finish arrangement.
In addition to the Agreement, Aspen also anticipates receiving 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, among others, African countries and Gavi / UNICEF, as well as contributing to pandemic preparedness through rights to a share of Aspen’s vaccine manufacturing capacity over a period of ten years.
According to Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, currently less than 1% of vaccines used on the continent contain any local manufacture, yet through GAVI, UNICEF, COVAX and the Africa Vaccine Acquisition Task Team, hundreds of millions of doses of vaccine are supplied to African countries to support both the Expanded Programme on Immunization, protecting children from a range of vaccine preventable diseases, as well as the provision of COVID-19 vaccines for the general population.
Adar Poonawalla, CEO of Serum Institute of India said “We are pleased to be partnering with Aspen and to support them in fulfilling their vaccine ambitions for Africa. We endorse their efforts to contribute towards reducing the Continent’s global vaccine dependency and we are confident that the Products will provide enhanced opportunities of wellbeing for all patients in Africa.”
Stephen Saad, Aspen Group Chief Executive said, “Africa has learnt from the experience of previous pandemics including HIV and now COVID, that regional capacities are fundamental to solving regional health challenges. The agreement concluded with the Serum Institute, and the anticipated grant funding from the Gates Foundation and CEPI, complement our previously stated commitment to expand sustainable and durable vaccine manufacturing on the continent to reduce Africa’s global vaccine dependency. We look forward to partnering with Adar and the Serum Institute of India. They are the largest manufacturers of vaccines globally and have a proven record of supporting universal healthcare. 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.”
