Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE revealed on Wednesday that they’ve completed a deal with the South African Biovac Institute to process and distribute approximately 100 million COVID-19 vaccines to members of the African Union. While production will begin in 2022, equipment installations, on-site developments, and the transfer of technology are expected to already get underway.
Biovac is expected to start receiving COVID-19 vaccine drug substances made in Europe, which it will then utilize in fill-finish operations—the last phase of vaccine manufacturing and packaging.
The announcement of this deal at a World Trade Organization (WTO) Summit was preceded by months of talks involving WTO members on the potential waiver of drug firms’ intellectual property (IP) rights for COVID-19 vaccines. While many developing countries have expressed support for the waiver, several wealthier nations continue to oppose the motion, stating that the loosening of IP rights could result in a slow down of research that allowed for such rapid production of COVID-19 vaccines.
Last month, the World Health Organization was in the process of setting up a training facility in South Africa, aimed at providing companies with knowledge of how to develop effective COVID-19 vaccines. Biovac was included in this hub.
