Senegal could start manufacturing coronavirus Vaccines packaged in plastic bags rather than glass vials in the fall, as efforts to produce vaccines “in Africa, for Africa” ​​intensify.

The Institut Pasteur de Dakar (IPD) – which has been manufacturing yellow fever vaccines for 80 years – is at the forefront of efforts to build the continent’s manufacturing capacity and is on track to start producing Covid vaccines in the third quarter of 2022.

But rather than being packaged in traditional glass vials, the IPD intends to use innovative sterile plastic sachets, which are similar to an IV bag and can hold and transport some 200 doses of vaccine.

“We are one of only four manufacturers of yellow fever in the world,” Dr Joe Fitchett, senior biotechnology adviser at IPD, told The Telegraph. “So it’s really fundamental to our work, and that’s why we believe in our abilities and have launched this initiative to fight Covid and other endemic diseases in Africa.”

IPD has already signed an agreement with BioNTech to produce mRNA-based vaccines, including the company’s Covid-19 jab. On Tuesday, the Senegalese research center formalized another partnership with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (Cepi), which is expected to support IPD’s efforts to become a major manufacturing hub.

The initial goal is to create a modular facility capable of manufacturing up to 300 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines per year, for use in Africa. This will focus on fill-and-finish capacity, with the vaccine itself largely produced in Europe and transported to Senegal where it will be placed in plastic bags.

These are considered more suitable for use in low-resource settings as they are smaller and lighter than glass vials, reducing the cost and footprint of the cold chain.

This will be the first time the technology has been used for vaccines, although the bags – produced by MedInstill/INTACT Solutions – have been used to fill sterile injectables in the United States. Cepi has been working since March 2020 to develop the vaccine transport system.

“Great advantage” of the decentralization of production

The deals come as vast imbalances in access to Covid shots around the world remain in the spotlight. Although the Covax vaccine distribution program delivered its billionth vaccine this week, only 10% of the African population is fully vaccinated, compared to 60% in Europe.

“Africa remains in the acute phase of the pandemic, and we are committed to doing our part to address the Covid-19 vaccine inequity that unfortunately persists,” said Dr. Amadou Sall, Director of IPD.

“We will initially focus on live and inactivated virus vaccines and mRNA. Over time, as experience accumulates, all types of vaccines could be considered,” Dr Sall told The Telegraph. “However, focusing on live/inactivated viral vaccines and mRNA is quite a broad capability that can meet many of Africa’s needs and is therefore considered a cornerstone of the facility.”

He added that this was the first step in a “broader vision of expansion and diversification towards new vaccines against multiple diseases that continue to threaten public health in Africa”. This includes diseases such as measles and malaria.

“Beyond Covid, it will be very important to focus on essential and routine vaccinations,” Dr Fitchett said. “There is great benefit in decentralizing manufacturing to regions where many of these conditions occur, to anchor them in health systems facing the burden of disease.”

He added that boosting manufacturing would also have a “catalyzing effect” on the regional biotech industry and encourage producers to manufacture the raw materials needed to make the injections. This is already the case for Covid diagnostics, which IPD produces.

“Deep inequities in vaccines persist”

The pandemic has exposed the limits of Africa’s vaccine capacity, and more and more large producers are scrambling to partner with local organizations to fill the gaps.

In July, BioNTech announced a deal with Biovac of South Africa to help produce around 100 million doses of their Covid-19 vaccine at a facility in Cape Town, while Moderna in October unveiled plans to invest around 500 million dollars to build a facility somewhere in Africa.

There is also growing pressure on big pharma amid calls to share vaccine patents, as access to vaccines remains incredibly unequal.

Late last year, Thomas Cueni, chief executive of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA), suggested the industry had “failed miserably” to ensure an equitable rollout of injections, although he said that patents were not the solution.

“More than a year after the administration of the first Covid-19 vaccine, a profound inequity in vaccines persists,” CEPI chief executive Dr Richard Hatchett said on Tuesday. the majority of the world over just a few countries for vaccines. »

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