Plans to develop the first African-owned COVID-19 vaccine in South Africa have been announced.

Aiming to improve the continent’s access to COVID-19 vaccines, the development of the novel messenger RNA (mRNA) dose will draw from expertise shared by the WHO’s global mRNA vaccine technology transfer hub in Cape Town. An mRNA vaccine creates proteins that trigger immune responses.

According to Bizcommunity, the vaccine will be created through a partnership between Afrigen Biologics and the Univercells Group. The move seeks to overcome the challenges that have hampered the roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines across the continent, such as the lack of local affordable production, and the demand for suitable cold chains.

The goal is to deliver an mRNA vaccine that is thermo-stable at temperatures used in typical refrigerators, easing the storage and distribution requirements in rural and remote locations.

The vaccine will be developed at Afrigen Biologics’ sites in Cape Town.

5 July 2022
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