Vaccines: BioNTech to launch production plants in Africa in 2022

by

Published on :

Messenger RNA vaccine production sites will be built by BioNTech in Senegal and Rwanda, the laboratory announced on Tuesday. They will initially make it possible to manufacture 50 million doses against Covid-19.

The German laboratory BioNTech indicated, Tuesday, October 26, that it will begin in mid-2022 the construction of production sites for messenger RNA vaccines in Africa, Senegal and Rwanda.

The company signed a letter of intent with the government of Rwanda and the Institut Pasteur in Dakar, Senegal, confirming a commitment made in late August between stakeholders during a meeting in Berlin, according to a statement.

>> Read: United States: Experts Recommend Pfizer Vaccine For Children 5-11 Years Old

The future production line, whose precise location is not communicated, will be the first step of a “central node in a decentralized and robust production network in Africa”, says the company from Mainz (western Germany ).

This infrastructure will initially be able to produce the messenger RNA necessary for the manufacture of 50 million vaccines against Covid-19 per year and it is expected that the capacity will be gradually increased to several hundred million doses of messenger RNA vaccines. , “by adding other production lines and sites to the manufacturing network on the continent.”

Vaccines manufactured outside the continent

“Our aim is to develop vaccines within the African Union (AU) and to develop sustainable vaccine production capacities to jointly improve medical care in Africa,” said Ugur Sahin, CEO and co-founder of BioNTech.

Currently, almost 1% of vaccines used in Africa are manufactured on the continent. The African Union wants to increase this proportion to 60% by 2040.

>> To see: Against malaria, a vaccine raises hope

At the start of production, BioNTech will provide the necessary personnel but then plans to “transfer manufacturing capacities and know-how to local partners”.

BioNTech is working on partial manufacturing of its anti-Covid vaccine – developed with Pfizer – in South Africa next year. For this project, the German biotech teamed up with the Biovac laboratory, located in Cape Town, to carry out the final bottling stage.

With AFP