2 more firms interested in local vaccine manufacturing —DOST exec

Two more companies have expressed interest in locally manufacturing vaccines, including COVID-19 jabs, a Department of Science and Technology (DOST) official said Tuesday.

DOST Undersecretary Rowena Guevara said there are now a total of eight firms looking to manufacture vaccines locally, most of which have partners or facilities overseas.

Among these companies, five want to manufacture COVID-19 vaccines, two want to start with non-COVID-19 shots, and one remains undecided.

“One company [is] targeting to start a fill-and-finish facility within 2021,” Guevara said.

She previously explained that a fill-finish facility will receive antigen in bulk, which will then be placed inside ampoules, vials, or injectables.

Guevara said fill-finish facilities can be completed in less than two years, while it would take at least three years for a local firm partnered with a foreign manufacturer to establish a full-fledged vaccine manufacturing facility.

Several government agencies earlier signed a joint memorandum on the establishment of a “green lane” for local COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers seeking permits, licenses, and authorizations.

Vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. also said the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine had a three-year program for the expansion of its vaccine research and development. -MDM, GMA News