Biovac Advances Africa's Vaccine Production with Sanofi and EuBiologics Partnerships

In a significant move to bolster local vaccine production across Africa, South African pharmaceutical company Biovac has entered into strategic agreements with Sanofi and EuBiologics. These partnerships aim to enhance the continent's self-sufficiency in vaccine manufacturing and distribution, aligning with Africa's broader goal of increasing local vaccine production to meet 60% of its needs by 2040.

Through its collaboration with Sanofi, Biovac will become the first African producer of inactivated polio vaccines (IPV). While Sanofi will continue to manufacture the drug material for the vaccines, Biovac will take on the roles of late-stage formulation, filling, packaging, and delivery of millions of doses to UNICEF for distribution across Gavi-supported countries in Africa. This marks a critical step in reinforcing Africa's capacity to handle future vaccination needs independently.

Sanofi, a long-standing contributor to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, has already delivered over 1.5 billion doses of IPV to UNICEF through Gavi. This initiative has successfully immunized 2.5 billion children over the past 30 years, reducing polio cases by 99% worldwide. However, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted routine pediatric vaccination programs, highlighting the need for increased local production to prevent a resurgence of polio cases. Thomas Triomphe, Sanofi’s Executive Vice President of Vaccines, emphasized the importance of this partnership in ensuring Africa’s readiness for future vaccination demands.

Biovac CEO, Dr. Morena Makhoana, expressed pride in the partnership, underscoring the company's commitment to improving vaccine access and health outcomes across the continent.

In another strategic move, Biovac has partnered with South Korean vaccine manufacturer EuBiologics to complete a technology transfer for a fully liquid meningococcal pentavalent conjugate vaccine. This collaboration, initially established through a memorandum of understanding last year, aims to supply the vaccine primarily in the meningitis belt of sub-Saharan Africa, which stretches from Senegal to Ethiopia. EuBiologics plans to produce 10 million doses annually, with the vaccine expected to launch in 2029.

This agreement was finalized at the Global Forum for Vaccine Sovereignty and Innovation in Paris, where several initiatives were unveiled to support Africa's vaccine production capabilities. Notably, Gavi, the African Union, and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) launched the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator (AVMA), a financing mechanism designed to provide up to $1 billion over the next decade. The AVMA aims to support commercially viable vaccine manufacturing projects in Africa, offering financial incentives to offset the initial costs of development and production.

These partnerships and initiatives are pivotal in achieving the African Union’s objective of producing at least 60% of the continent's vaccines locally by 2040. By fostering local manufacturing capabilities, Africa can enhance its resilience against future pandemics and ensure more reliable access to essential vaccines for its population.

The Biovac-Sanofi and Biovac-EuBiologics collaborations represent significant milestones in Africa’s journey towards vaccine sovereignty. For pharmaceutical professionals, these developments highlight the importance of strategic partnerships and innovation in addressing global health challenges and achieving sustainable healthcare solutions.