Pfizer, BioNTech to produce COVID-19 vaccine in South Africa

Washington [US], July 21 (ANI/Sputnik): Pfizer and BioNTech have signed an agreement with South Africa's Biovac Institute to produce the COVID-19 vaccine in South Africa for the African Union, Pfizer said in a statement on Wednesday.
"Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE today announced the signing of a letter of intent with The Biovac Institute Ltd, known as Biovac, a Cape Town-based, South African biopharmaceutical company, to manufacture the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for distribution within the African Union," the statement said.
Both companies expect that Biovac's Cape Town facility will be incorporated in their global vaccine supply chain by the end of 2021, while technical processes and on-site equipment activities will start immediately, the statement added.
"Our latest collaboration with Biovac is a shining example of the tireless work being done, in this instance to benefit Africa," Pfizer Chairman and CEO Albert Bourla said.
He promised to continue efforts to expand the vaccine supply chain in other regions, including Latin America.
At full operational capacity, the annual production will exceed 100 million finished doses, which will be distributed within the 55 member states of the African Union, the statement said.
To date, Pfizer and BioNTech have shipped more than 1 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses to more than 100 countries or territories in every region of the world, according to the statement. (ANI/Sputnik)