KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 18): Solution Group Bhd announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary Solution Biologics Sdn Bhd (SOLBIO) has received the Good Manufacturing Practises (GMP) approval from the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) to commence local formulation, filling and finishing of CanSino's single-dose vaccine Convidecia in Malaysia. 

SOLBIO is the ASEAN manufacturing partner of CanSino Biologics Inc (CanSinoBIO). With this approval, Malaysia will become the regional filling and finishing centre for CanSino to supply the Convidecia finished product to the region, Solution said in a statement

The facility is located in Technology Park Malaysia in Bukit Jalil, which is capable of producing up to three million vaccine vials per month or the equivalent of up to 36 million vials per year.

Solution deputy managing director Datuk Dr Mohd Nazlee Kamal said this GMP certification will enable the company to increase production of the Convidecia vaccine for private sale from mid-November 2021, while increasing supply of the vaccine to meet demand in Malaysia and the region, given the rise of the Omicron variant.

He said this certification is important for the group because it can formulate the vaccine and fill it on-site, unlike in the past when the group only received CanSinoBIO's finished doses and active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) in bulk.

“This is also important because we are now able to process the API for filling into vials that can be stored in our cold room."

“We are also working towards obtaining approval from the Ministry of Health (MoH) for Convidecia to be used as a heterologous booster for other primary vaccine recipients,” he added. 

In addition, SOLBIO and CanSinoBIO are collaborating to produce an inhaled version of the vaccine. 

This inhaled version, which induces cellular, humoral and mucosal immunity, is currently being tested as a booster and is expected to expand the immune response against Covid-19, Solution said.

Solution shares were up five sen or 9.52% to close at 57.5 sen on Friday (Feb 18), with some 5.48 million shares done. Based on its closing price, Solution was valued at RM251.39 million.