Business & Finance
Afrigen hopes to deliver Africa's first COVID-19 mRNA vaccine within a year
24 June 2021 -

South African pharmaceutical company Afrigen Biologics and Vaccines (Afrigen) expects a decision in mid-July 2021 on partners to produce Africa's first COVID-19 vaccine using mRNA technology, Reuters news agency reported on Thursday.

Reportedly, the World Health Organization selected Afrigen for a pilot to give poor and middle-income countries the know-how and licences to make COVID-19 vaccines. The "tech transfer hub" will make it possible for African companies to manufacture mRNA vaccines in 9-12 months.

Afrigen's facility will have the capacity to produce up to 10,000 vials a day of COVID-19 vaccines and it has partnered with local manufacturer Biovac which can produce 30 to 50 million doses a year to distribute across Africa.

Research partners include South African universities and local genomics surveillance lab KRISP.

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