KUALA LUMPUR (MALAYSIA) – Malaysia Pharmaniaga Bhd has struck a deal with China’s Sinovac to purchase 14 million doses of ready-to-fill COVID-19 vaccines and later to manufacture the vaccine domestically, it said on Tuesday.
Pharmaniaga said in a bourse filing that the company will conduct a fill-and-finish process of the vaccine in Malaysia. Following that, it will subsequently make an entry into local manufacturing, under license from Sinovac for its technology and efficiency.
Group Managing Director Zulkarnain Md Eusope said the company has a fill-and-finish capacity of two million doses on a monthly basis. He added that Sinovac’s vaccine will be the first to be manufactured in Malaysia.
He said at the signing event, “Upon approval from the (local pharmaceutical regulator), we are confident to manufacture and have the vaccine ready to be distributed to the hospitals by the end of March.”
The government-backed firm said the agreement will also come to its benefit in long-term partnerships, including technology transfers for the growth of the sector in Malaysia.
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said Malaysia would be able to access the 14 million doses of vaccine through Pharmaniaga at a lower price, when compared to the rate if they procured it directly from Sinovac.
He added, “We will finalise the government procurement part of it hopefully by next week.”