BIO FARMA, WHO, MPP and CEPI COLLABORATE TO INCREASE VACCINE ACCESSIBILITY IN THE GLOBAL SOUTH REGION

(Bandung 05^th January 2024)- Bio Farma, Indonesia‘s state-owned pharmaceutical company,  received a joint visit in November 29 - December 1, 2023  from  representatives of WHO (Headquarters in Geneva, SEARO and Indonesia Country Office), Medicine Patent Pool (MPP) and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to its campus in Bandung, West Java. This meeting serves the implementation of the mRNA Technology Transfer Programme and the potential role of Bio Farma to advance vaccine equitable access to Global South in the event of outbreaks and pandemics.

CEO of Bio Farma, Shadiq Akasya expressed his gratitude during his opening remarks, “Bio Farma is honored by the visit of delegations from MPP, CEPI, and WHO. We hope that our vast experience in vaccine manufacture will be of value in this joint endeavour to provide accessibilities to vaccines in the Global South Region.”

The purpose of the joint visit is to assess Bio Farma's readiness in implementing mRNA manufacturing technology and to share Bio Farma's strategy in vaccine development, specifically targeting  diseases endemic in the ASEAN region. Activities and facilities supported under the CEPI – Bio Farma partnership was also assessed and discussed in bilateral meetings during the site visit. 

Bio Farma is a well-established manufacture of a wide range of vaccines, many of which are WHO Prequalified. The collaboration will strengthen Bio Farma's role in prevention, preparedness, and responses to pandemics securing the provision of vaccines to countries in the global south particularly in the event of pandemic thus fostering vaccine equity in the region.

Dr Matthew Downham, Director Manufacturing and Supply Chain Network at CEPI said:

“CEPI is proud to contribute to the expansion of Bio Farma’s world-class manufacturing facilities. The mRNA manufacturing capacity being established at Bio Farma will help to enable swift and equitable access to outbreak vaccines for countries across the Global South.”

Claudia Nannei, Manager and Policy and Partner engagement Lead of the mRNA technology transfer programme at WHO:

“WHO has been working for years with Bio Farma and has witnessed its evolution over time towards a solid, scientifically advanced manufacturer that supplies essential vaccines to the region and beyond. We are glad to work with Bio Farma to ensure the successful implementation of this additional technology platform to be added to the arsenal of tools that can contribute to the response to the next pandemic in Indonesia and the world.”

Julien Bon, Project Manager, Medicines Patent Pool, said: “MPP is extremely impressed by Bio Farma’s high level of scientific knowledge and extensive experience in vaccines development and manufacturing. This will be essential in paving the way for the successful implementation of the mRNA vaccine manufacturing platform in Indonesia.”

 

Moreover, CEPI and Bio Farma have entered a 10-year partnership (https://cepi.net/news_cepi/cepi-and-bio-farma-partnership-boosts-rapid-response-vaccine-manufacturing-for-the-global-south/) to boost capability and capacity for rapid manufacturing of outbreak vaccines at Indonesia’s leading vaccine manufacturer. The collaboration will help to bring cutting-edge mRNA and viral vector rapid response vaccine manufacturing technologies to Indonesia and the ASEAN region; and reserve manufacturing capacity to supply Global South countries during future outbreaks and pandemics to combat the type of devastating inequity witnessed during the response to COVID-19. CEPI technical and financial support for mRNA technology implementation at Bio Farma complements WHO-MPP mRNA technology transfer programme.

Bio Farma joins CEPI-backed network of vaccine manufacturers in Global South countries which aims to substantially increase the world’s capacity and capability to produce vaccines against emerging outbreaks and pandemic threats in as little as 100 days.

Bio Farma is one of the fifteen partners in the mRNA Technology Transfer Programme, an initiative spearheaded by MPP and WHO that seeks to enhance health and security in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) through the establishment of locally owned, sustainable mRNA manufacturing capabilities. Bio Farma will receive a technology transfer from the "hub" Afrigen in South Africa, that enables the production of mRNA drug substances and drug products, as part of the Programme. Bio Frama was one of the first companies to send their scientists for initial technology transfer training at Afrigen in December 2022.

About the WHO-MPP Initiated mRNA technology transfer programme

The mRNA Technology Transfer Programme, convened by WHO and its partner MPP, was initiated in April 2021. The initiative is a worldwide endeavour that aims to enhance health and health security through the establishment of sustainable, locally owned mRNA production capacities within LMICs. The Programme is centred around a technology transfer "hub” Afrigen, situated in South Africa. The hub offers technological development, training, and technology transfer services. Currently, 15 programme partners in LMICs worldwide are being trained and provided with technology by the “hub”. Subsequently, these partners will manufacture and sell products for commercial purposes.

About the CEPI Vaccine Manufacturing Facility Network Programme

CEPI is establishing a network of vaccine manufacturers in Global South countries, near areas at high risk of disease outbreaks, with a particular focus on locations with proximity to CEPI’s priority pathogens (Chikungunya, Ebola, Lassa fever, MERS-CoV, Nipah virus, Rift Valley fever).

Vaccine makers, such as Bio Farma, which join the CEPI global vaccine manufacturing network will become “preferred” production partners for vaccine developers supported by CEPI. This means that in the event of an outbreak, CEPI-backed developers will quickly be able to transfer their technology to pre-selected manufacturers with the right expertise, technology, and optimal geographical position to enable rapid production and equitable distribution of vaccines to affected populations.

Bio Farma is the first member of the CEPI-backed network in the ASEAN region.

About Medicines Patent Pool (MPP)

MPP is a United Nations-backed public health organisation working to increase access to and facilitate the development of life-saving medicines for low- and middle-income countries. Through its innovative business model, MPP partners with civil society, governments, international organisations, industry, patient groups, and other stakeholders to prioritise and license needed medicines and pool intellectual property to encourage generic manufacture and the development of new formulations. To date, MPP has signed agreements with 20 patent holders for 13 HIV antiretrovirals, one HIV technology platform, three hepatitis C direct-acting antivirals, a tuberculosis treatment, a cancer treatment, four long-acting technologies, three oral antiviral treatments for COVID-19 and 15 COVID-19 technologies. MPP was founded by Unitaid, which continues to be MPP’s main funder. MPP’s work on access to essential medicines is also funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). MPP’s activities in COVID-19 are undertaken with the financial support of the Japanese Government, the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, the German Agency for International Cooperation and SDC. More information at https://medicinespatentpool.org/  and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

 

 

About CEPI

CEPI is an innovative partnership between public, private, philanthropic, and civil organizations, launched in 2017, to develop vaccines against future epidemics. Its mission is to accelerate the development of vaccines and other biologic countermeasures against epidemic and pandemic threats so they can be accessible to all people in need.

Prior to COVID-19, CEPI’s work focused on developing vaccines against Ebola virus, Lassa virus, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus, Nipah virus, Rift Valley Fever virus and Chikungunya virus – it has over 20 vaccine candidates against these pathogens in development. CEPI has also invested in new platform technologies for rapid vaccine development against unknown pathogens (Disease X).

CEPI has played a central role in the global response to COVID-19, supporting the development of the world’s largest portfolio of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants with a focus on speed, scale and access, as well as co-leading COVAX, the global initiative to deliver fair and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. CEPI is also the world’s leading funder of R&D for broadly protective coronavirus vaccines which could protect against future variants of COVID-19 as well as other coronaviruses with epidemic and pandemic potential.

CEPI has embarked upon an ambitious US$3.5bn five-year plan – called CEPI 2.0 – to dramatically reduce or even eliminate the future risk of pandemics and epidemics. Central to the plan is CEPI’s goal – supported by the G7 and G20 – to compress the time taken to develop safe, effective, globally accessible vaccines against new threats to just 100 days. Achieving this ‘100 Days Mission’ would give the world a fighting chance of containing a future outbreak before it spreads to become a global pandemic. Read the plan at endpandemics.cepi.net/.

To read more about how the world can work together to #endpandemics, check out DISEASE X – The 100 Days Mission to End Pandemics, by CEPI’s Chief Scientific Writer Kate Kelland, available here at Bookshop.org. All author proceeds go to the World Health Organization Foundation’s COVID-19 Response.

Follow our news page for the latest updates. Follow us @CEPIvaccines, @DrRHatchett, and LinkedIn.

 

About Bio Farma

PT Bio Farma (Persero) referred to as “Bio Farma” is a state-owned vaccines and antisera manufacturer for humans in Indonesia. Celebrating its 133rd anniversary, Bio Farma has through the years grown into a life science company of international recognition producing and distributing more than 3.2 billion doses of vaccines per year. Bio Farma is by far the largest vaccine manufacturer in Southeast Asia. The company supplies not only the needs for National Immunization Programme in Indonesia but also the global market to more than 150 countries. Bio Farma’s ability to enter the global market is due to numerous of its vaccines attaining pre-qualification (PQ) from World Health Organization (WHO). The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and PATH have collaborated with Bio Farma to produce novel Oral Polio Vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) in support of Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI); nOPV2  being  the first vaccine to attain WHO EUL in 2020.

Bio Farma plays an important role in establishing a healthy nation in which its existence would be maintained for generations to come. With its philosophy of “Dedicated to improving Quality of Life” Bio Farma stands firm in devoting its efforts to Global Health Security.

In early 2020, a state-owned pharmaceutical holding company was established with Bio Farma as its parent company. The establishment of this holding company is aimed to strengthen self-reliance of the national pharmaceutical industry, and also to increase the availability of products supporting the pharmaceutical ecosystem. For more information refer to: www.biofarma.co.id

 

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