KUALA LUMPUR (May 26): Pharmaniaga Bhd plans to import 10 million more doses of Sinovac Covid-19 finished vaccine from China.
“Taking into consideration the current geopolitics and supply issues around the world, the supply of vaccines is unpredictable and there could be a possibility of vaccine supply shortage in Malaysia, if this happens.
“The World Health Organisation (WHO) is expected to approve the Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine very soon and we foresee that once it happens, the global demand for Sinovac will spike and we may not be able to obtain it easily like now. Thus, we plan to place the order now, before that occurs,” Pharmaniaga group managing director Datuk Zulkarnain Md Eusope said in a media briefing today.
When these doses are expected to be delivered, however, was not specified.
Pharmaniaga has so far received one million doses of finished vaccine from Sinovac, said Zulkarnain, and the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) has approved their release.
“Altogether, the combination of finished vaccine doses from China and the filled-and-finished doses by Pharmaniaga has reached more than 3.6 million in May alone. In June, Pharmaniaga LifeSciences Sdn Bhd (PLS) is expecting to complete another two million doses of filled-and-finished vaccine, as well as receive three million doses of finished vaccine from Sinovac in China,” he said.
Cumulatively, the group is confident that it will be able to supply a total of 8.6 million Sinovac vaccine doses by the end of June, while 10 million doses more of the finished vaccine which it plans to order, will be on its way from China.
“PLS is also ready to ramp up production from two million to four million doses a month, in order to help the Government expedite the vaccination programme and achieve herd immunity. Up to May 23, PLS’s high-tech plant has completed fill-and-finish manufacturing of a total of 1.89 million doses of Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine,” he said.
Meanwhile, Pharmaniaga is also awaiting approval from the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) for the Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine for children aged three to 17 years and for the manufacturing of two doses per vial of the vaccine, before submitting it to the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) for variation process.
“We expect it will take about two-three weeks of evaluation upon submission to NPRA, followed by running another stability test for two doses per vial. All these requirements are standard practices in the vaccine industry to ensure the vaccine is safe, prior to distribution to the public.
“Nevertheless, looking at the critical current Covid-19 situation in Malaysia, we have proposed to the government that we supply both finished vaccines, as well as filled-and-finished vaccines, in order to help the government expedite the completion of NIP and at the same time, review our contract obligation, thus shortening the supply period,” he added.