BioNTech has agreed between Rwanda and Senegal to open the first manufacturing facility to produce messenger RNA for vaccines as part of its expansion into the African continent.
Germany’s biotechnology said construction would begin in mid-2022, but did not say whether it would be built in either country.
Wool Shahin, CEO and co-founder of BioNTech, said: statement.. “Our goal is … To establish a sustainable vaccine production capacity to jointly improve health care in Africa.”
The facility is the largest step in the company’s plan to produce Covid-19 jabs on the continent, as well as research and develop vaccines for other diseases affecting the African continent and other poor countries. When fully operational, the company says it will be able to supply about 50 million vaccines each year on a single production line.
The BioNTech agreement will come after US-based rival Moderna announced this month. $ 500 million plan Establish an mRNA manufacturing plant in Africa and operate it completely independently rather than cooperating with local governments.
Separately, Moderna announced on Tuesday that it will allow the African Union to receive an additional 110 million doses of the Covid vaccine at the “lowest price” and will receive 15 million doses in the fourth quarter of this year. bottom. The remaining dose will be supplied in 2022, it said.
The company added that it aims to get the Covid vaccine in Africa by 2023 in parallel with the construction of the mRNA facility. It has not yet been revealed where on the continent it will be installed.
Prior to completing the partnership between Rwanda and Senegal, BioNTech launched an R & D project in July. Malaria vaccine In Africa. He will also work on a continental tuberculosis vaccine, and Sahin says the ultimate goal is to develop an HIV vaccine.
