Vaccini, Giani (Tuscany): ‘It is crucial to complete the national supply chain as soon as possible’

“As we see these days, Covid-19 has not yet been eradicated; therefore, it will be crucial to be able to complete an entire national vaccine supply chain as soon as possible, from research to trials, from development to production. The rapid availability of a vaccine is decisive for public health and, we hope in the future, also to be able to prevent new health emergencies. This is why the Tuscany Region has already brought to the attention of the Committee for the attraction of foreign investments the investments of Gsk for the modernization of production lines existing on Siena and to which, we hope, others can also be added in an anti-pandemic key “. Thus Eugenio Giani, president of the Tuscany Region, in a message sent to the organizers of the conference “InnovaCtion – what is needed for ideas to become health, business, future”, an event to discuss the value of research and innovation in health promoted and implemented by GlaxoSmithKline, which was held today on the occasion of its 90 years of presence in Italy. “The research capabilities and industrialization of Gsk in Tuscany are crucial for us – he underlines – as they are complementary to the bets that the Government and the Region of Tuscany are pursuing. I am referring to the choice of concentrating both the development of a biotechnological pole and of a national anti-pandemic hub, enhancing the skills for the development of vaccines present in Tuscan hospitals and universities. To all this is added the role of glue in the technology transfer ensured by the Toscana Life Sciences Foundation supported by the Tuscany Region always in the city ​​of Siena “. “Surely also the ongoing launch in Tuscany of a digital logistics platform called Toscana Pharma Valley – concludes Giani in his message – with a dozen member companies is a further opportunity that GSK will be able to evaluate in order to be even more competitive specifically of the logistics and distribution dimension. Tuscany is ready to implement and support innovations so that they become useful actions and investments for the country system in partnership with the science and life industry, of which GSK has been a constant reference for 90 years “.