Consortium ready to produce Coronavirus vaccines locally – PMAG

The Pharmaceutical Association of Ghana (PMAG) has formed a consortium ready to take advantage of the nation's efforts to produce COVID-19 vaccines locally.

According to the association, the consortium, made up of local pharmaceutical companies with knowledge and operational skills in the production of vaccines, is hoping for some expedited efforts from the government to make the nation the first to produce vaccines on the continent, and leverage on that to accelerate economic growth and boost the sector's fortunes.

The Executive Secretary of PMAG, Lucia Addae Ntiri, told the B&FT at this year's Ghana Pharma Award that the local pharmaceutical industry is poised to make history.

Her comments come on the back of President Nana Akufu-Addo's quest to support the production of vaccines locally as the global shortage is hampering the socioeconomic recovery plans of the country.

"We believe everything he is saying. I can tell you on authority that currently, we have formed a consortium, a group of companies that has come together to make sure that even if it is a viral or bacterial line opportunity for vaccine manufacturing, the nation can do.

"The consortium puts together good brains who have been doing manufacturing for some good years to bring this into reality. The establishment of the National Vaccine Institute would determine how fast the local industry would receive support to go into the production of vaccines," she said.

She added that it is the hope of the industry that the experts put together will come up with ideas that will lead to the proposed National Vaccine Institute becoming an authority in vaccine production in the country and the continent.

"If they can support us, like the Serum Institute of India, to take a license that will be able to manufacture COVID-19 vaccine like the AstraZeneca.

Once we have that institute, then it means that we are covered when it comes to research and development, finance, human resources, and all the structures that are needed to make this a reality. It is big and has potential. We just need to be able to align the roadmap, be very committed to it and ensure that both government and non-governmental agencies work to achieve success," she said.

President Akufo-Addo, in his 26th Address to the nation on the government's efforts in fighting the pandemic, said, "the global shortage of vaccines means that we must develop our capacity to produce our own vaccines domestically and reduce our dependence on foreign supplies. We must be self-sufficient in this regard in the future and prepare ourselves better to deal with any such occurrences in the future.

"To this end, the Committee I established under the leadership of the world-renowned Ghanaian scientist, Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, to investigate Ghana's potential as a vaccine manufacturing hub to meet national and regional needs has presented its preliminary report. Which, amongst others, recommends the establishment of a National Vaccine Institute to spearhead this development.

Government has committed to injecting seed funding of some twenty-five million United States dollars (US$25 million) this year into this whole enterprise."

Mrs Addae Ntiri said the government's efforts need to be complemented by local pharmaceutical players, the very reason the consortium has been formed.