- South Africa’s Aspen Pharmacare, has announced its deal with Covid-19 vaccine manufacturer Johnson & Johnson to produce its own branded version to sell in Africa.
- Under the new agreement, Aspen can sell the vaccines it bottles, branded Aspenovax, to AU members as well as the multinational organisations such as the international vaccine-sharing vehicle Covax.
South Africa’s Aspen Pharmacare, has announced its deal with Covid-19 vaccine manufacturer Johnson & Johnson to produce its own branded version to sell in Africa. Under the new agreement, Aspen can sell the vaccines it bottles, branded Aspenovax, to AU members as well as the multinational organisations such as the international vaccine-sharing vehicle Covax.
The deal is expected to boost Africa’s vaccine supply and also give Aspen greater freedom to choose its customers. It will also lead to a further licensing deal for manufacturing the active pharmaceutical ingredients used in the vaccine.
A contract was signed between Aspen and J&J in November 2020 to formulate, fill and package vials of its Covid-19 shot. However, until now the decision on which countries can purchase the product remained with J&J. The deal is significant as it comes when the Omicron variant of the coronavirus has highlighted the need for greater vaccine equity, said Aspen CEO Stephen Saad.
The absence of local production of the vaccines has left Africa at the back of the vaccination queue when the coronavirus crisis struck in 2020. Only 7% of Africa’s population is vaccinated against the disease. Aspen’s deal will speed up the vaccination in Africa with regional capacitation.
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