The Department of Science and Technology on Thursday said six potential local vaccine manufacturers have expressed their intention to help the country make its own Covid-19 vaccines.
DOST Undersecretary for Research and Development Rowena Cristina L. Guevara said the government is currently negotiating with these companies, noting that in March 29, President Rodrigo R. Duterte had ordered the establishment of the country’s own vaccine facility as an “investment for future generation.”
“In response to this presidential directive, a meeting among the Secretaries of Department of Budget and Management, Department of Health, DOST, Department of Trade and Industry and the vaccine czar DBM, DOH, DOST, DTI was held on April 6 to discuss the plans on vaccine development facility,” Guevarra said during the Kapihan session of the DOH but stressed that even prior to the order given by the president, there have been series of meetings with numerous local vaccine manufacturers for such endeavor.
Among the highlights of the meeting were the recommendation to support:
- The certification of the bill creating the Virology Science and Technology Institute of the Philippines (VIP) as priority
- Accelerated arrangements for local pharmaceutical companies and public-private partnership (PPP) to undertake vaccine manufacturing, with DTI taking the lead;
- Policy for government procurement to catalyze local vaccine manufacturing
However, Guevarra did not reveal the names of the six companies who made an “advanced talks” with the government but in her presentation she described them as:
- Company A is a distributor of a South Korean company. Currently talking with two companies to form a venture and with National Development Company (NDC).
- Company B has extensive facilities in Asia. All the vaccines that we need are being manufactured by their prospect foreign partner, these are: rubella, polio, HIV, tuberculosis or TB, Covid and other non- Covid-19 vaccines.
- Company C is considering to start their local vaccine manufacturing venture with a fill-and-finish facility.
- Company D is already discussing with DTI-Board of Investments (BOI) and NDC. They have connection with a vaccine developer in Germany. Expressed willingness to partner with the government.
- Company E is a long term partner of a Chinese vaccine producer. The vaccine producer is interested in local manufacturing. DTI-BOI and NDC are talking to Company E to fast track their plans.
- Company F looking for a possible partner. One possible partner for Company F is a US company. Company F has given NDC a pre-feasibility study for a vaccine – they intend to initially do form and fill then do Covid-19
Guevarra said that other companies are looking into the opportunity to start with the vaccines that are already well-established in the country like measles-rubella and oral polio vaccines while there are some who would like to start with Covid-19 vaccines.
“Balak nila unahin ‘yung other vaccines na ginagamit na ngayon sa national immunization program ng government [They plan to start with vaccines currently being used in the national immunization program of the government]. Tapos pag stable na ang clinical trial ng Covid-19 vaccines tsaka sila papasok sa [And if the clinical trial of Covid-19 vaccines is already stable, then that’s the time they’re going to start with the ] Covid-19 vaccines,” Guevarra said.
Based on the aggressiveness on some companies and that if they are going to pursue it, she said, they can produce the Covid-19 vaccines in the latter part of 2022.
Likewise, Guevarra reiterated that there is a need a local vaccine manufacturing for the following reasons:
- To sustain the Government’s needs for the National Immunization Program (NIP) of the DOH;
- To provide adequate vaccine doses to the potential annual COVID-19 vaccination;
- To capacitate our pharmaceutical industry to develop its own capability and vaccine; and
- To be prepared in time for the next pandemic.
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