Philippine firm Glovax says it's partnering with MVP to put up COVID-19 vaccine plant

Local vaccine distribution firm Glovax Biotech Corp. said Friday it was partnering with business tycoon Manuel V. Pangilinan to build a COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing plant in the country.

Glovax Biotech CEO Giovanni Alingog said the firm's partnership with Pangilinan would be "financial", with the businessman expected to pour in investments for the construction of the plant.

"We already have the technology and we already have a supplier, the next steps we are doing is finding more financial support,” Alingog told GMA News Online.

Glovax has partnered with South Korea-based EuBiologics Co. for a clinical trial of Korea-made EuCorVac-19 in the country following Phase 1 and 2 trials in South Korea. 

Alingog said Glovax was planning to manufacture EuCorVac-19 in the country once it secured an emergency use authorization following clinical trials.

He said the company planned to start the construction of the vaccine manufacturing plant on or before October this year.

“The estimated cost of the vaccine plant is P7 billion,” he said.

The facility is eyed to have a production capacity of 100 million doses in a year.

“Nabanggit niya sa aming meeting noong Wednesday lamang, sinabi niya mismo na susuportahan niya ang Glovax vaccine plant bilang pasuporta sa mamayang Pilipinos, sa gobyerno, lalo na kay Presidente Duterte, para sa laban natin sa COVID-19,” Alingog said of Pangilinan.

[He said in our meeting last Wednesday that he would support the Glovax vaccine plant as a gesture of support for the Filipino people, the government, and President Duterte, in the fight against COVID-19.]

GMA News Online has reached out to Pangilinan for his confirmation but no response yet has been received as of this posting.

Apart from producing COVID-19 vaccines for local supply, Glovax’s planned facility is also eyed to produce other vaccines in preparation for any anticipated pandemics in the future so that the Philippines will not be dependent on other countries for vaccine supply, according to Alingog.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III earlier said Glovax was working with the Department of Science and Technology to help the country develop a vaccine self-sufficiency program.

In his presentation to the President, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez showed that possible local vaccine manufacturers included local pharmaceutical giant United Laboratories Inc. and Glovax Biotech Corp. --NB, GMA News